Ultimate Bionicle 2: The Dark Times
by Omega90
Summary: The war against Makuta has gone on for a year, but now he seems to have found a way to finish it and win once and for all. Can the Legion of Toa stop him or will Metru Nui and Mata Nui forever be cast in shadow?
1. The Object of Power

ULTIMATE BIONICLE 2

**Disclaimer:** I do no own Bionicle, but I do own this story.

Prologue: Metru Nui, an island city, miles off the western coast of Mata Nui, visible only on the horizon.

Black clouds infected the sky like a veil, darkening the sun's light. The once prosperous city, which used to be noisy with the hustle and bustle of everyday life, was quiet and still. Few buildings were not at least a little damaged, and wreckage and debris littered the streets. War had rained down upon this city for a year and still raged on.

After the Toa of Light had defeated Makuta, he was thought to have been gone for good. However, thanks to his secret creation Vorak, a deceptive and merciless Shadow Rahkshi with the ability to absorb Kanohi mask powers, his energy form was transferred into the recently deceased body of Panrahk. He slowly took over the body and reshaped it into a new, monstrous form. He later found his way to Metru Nui and killed the evil Turaga Dume, and claimed the Coliseum for himself.

Vorak, along with Grievous, a Shadow/Ice Rahkshi and 'brother' of Vorak, and the two former Dark Hunters Nidhiki and Krekka, led Makuta's army of Vahki, Bohrok and Rahkshi, leaving a scourge of torment and pain wherever they went. They spared no one that got in the way their master's takeover.

The only thing that could stand against Makuta and his army, and unite the Matoran was the Legion of Toa. It consisted of two primary teams of Toa: The seven in the group of Toa Nuva: Takanuva, Tahu, Gali, Kopaka, Lewa, Onua and Pohatu, and the five Toa Hordika: Vakama, Whenua, Onewa, Matau and Nokama.

Those Matoran who could not fight, were sent to take refuge on Mata Nui, while the many small defence forces from the island's various villages were called upon to help defend Metru Nui. Due to the lack of numbers though, even after that, they had to stick to guerrilla tactics most of the time, instead of full on assaults.

Many wished for the old days of routine and order to return, however, they were lost in this world of disorderly chaos. The only thing that kept them going was the constant reminder that if they ever wanted the old days to return, they would have to fight for it.

Chapter 1: The Object of Power

Armed with a katana and a black shield, Tehutti crept down the long dark hallway, along with five other Matoran, including Jala and Vhisola. Jala was directly behind, leading alongside him. Tehutti, Vhisola and Jala had all become good friends over the course of the war, and the trio was often seen together on and in between missions. They were currently in the middle of a mission to rescue some P.O.W. (prisoners of war) somewhere within a building in Onu-Metru.

Matoran were not allowed to perform missions without the aid of at least one Toa. Therefore, Toa Hordika Whenua was there as well. However, he was not with the group. He had his own personal mission to achieve within the complex.

Whenua and Tehutti were good friends, which is why Whenua had been training him personally. The result made Tehutti significantly stronger and much more skillful, but also very headstrong.

Tehutti stopped at the corner of the hall. He raised his hand, gesturing for the others to stop as well. "What is it?" Vhisola whispered from the centre of the group.

Tehutti put a finger over his mouth, telling her to keep quiet and then gestured for her and the other three to come closer. She whispered again, "What is it?"

"I think there's a group of Vahki around this corner. I'm going to try and take them out." Tehutti murmured with a grin.

"Are you insane?" Vhisola whispered arguably. "Whenua told us to find the others as discreetly as possible. Do you have any idea how mad he's going to be at you if you stir up trouble again?"

Tehutti grumbled, "I'm not going to let him have all the fun. There's probably not that many anyways. We can take them out no problem." He said confidently.

Tehutti counted down from five with his fingers, staring at the shifting shadows that projected past the corner. They all turned the corner quickly and ten Vorzakh stood there waiting. Tehutti was immediately struck with the end of one of their staffs. He had blocked with his shield just in time, but it still knocked him back into a wall.

At the same time one of the clamps at the end of another Vorzakh's staff, clasped onto the neck of one of the Matoran. It crushed his throat and he went limp as the Vorzakh tossed him aside.

Vhisola shot her Kanoka launcher, hitting it in the head; smashing it to pieces. Jala, with his two buzz-saws on each hand began to cut away at the mechanical enemies in front of him. Tehutti was now in the fray again as well, hiding behind his shield to block attacks, and striking when an opening showed itself.

One of the Vorzakh fired a Kanoka blast from within the crowd and it struck another Matoran in the face, splitting his mask in half and striking him in the head. The Matoran fell back, dead. "They got Motari!" Vhisola yelled.

Tehutti jumped up and hit one of the Vahki in the face with his shield. As it stumbled back he stabbed it in the mouth and through the back of its head. Tehutti landed on the ground again, grinning arrogantly as the Vahki fell back. The four Matoran continued to fight back against the eight remaining Vahki, though they were having trouble taking them down in such a narrow area.

"We should retreat!" Vhisola shouted. Tehutti shook his head, slashing away a Vahki's staff. "We will never run! Only cowards run!" He said valiantly.

Suddenly a Vorzakh staff clamped down onto Tehutti's right shoulder. He let out a cry of pain as the Vorzakh hoisted him into the air. "Tehutti!" Jala yelled.

Tehutti dropped his shield and grasped the end of the staff, trying desperately to pry it off. "Damn you!" He yelled at the Vahki angrily. In the blink of an eye, Whenua came from behind the Vahki, grasping onto the end of the staff with his large right arm. "W-Whenua." Tehutti said with awe.

Whenua gave Tehutti a cross glance, before tightening his grip and destroying the end of the staff, freeing Tehutti. He then pulled back his left fist and drove it into the Vorzakh's head. Whenua pulled out his Jackhammers and started smashing his way through the remaining Vahki.

The Matoran watched, awestruck as the last pieces of a Vahki fell among the rest of the scrap. Whenua then looked over at Tehutti angrily. He stormed over to him, backing Tehutti into a wall. "I told you not to attract any attention to yourselves. Do you think just because I'm training you, you can lead them anywhere you want?" Whenua scolded. "Two Matoran are dead because of your rash decision. Use your head for once!" He said, pointing at the bodies.

Tehutti stared at the ground guiltily. Whenua growled lowly as he turned back around. "Matoran limbs can't grow back you know," Whenua said to him, "So if you lost your arm there, it would've been gone for good. Now go and find the prisoners while I take care of what I need to here." Whenua ordered.

"Yes sensei." Tehutti responded lowly. He and the other Matoran continued on their way, as Whenua continued further into the complex.

&&&&&&&&

It was a dimly lit room, very messy with papers and strange objects strewn about all over. The papers were covered with detailed notes and diagrams. Digging through the pile, was the mysterious being known as Atukam, an agent who had worked under Makuta's leadership for centuries.

He closely resembled a Toa, though he wasn't one at all. His black armoured body was concealed under a large black cloak. His eyes were a deep dark red and he wore a sliver coloured Kualsi, Mask of Quick Travel.

"Damn it! It's not here!" He said angrily. "Makuta isn't going to like this. He isn't going to like this at all! Without that map we can't find it. Why isn't that damn map here?!" He yelled with frustration.

"So, we meet once again, Atukam." A voice said behind him. Atukam quickly turned around. Whenua stood in the doorway, only his green eyes visible in the shadows.

Atukam scowled. "I thought I was rid of you last time." He said with annoyance.

Whenua laughed slightly, "It takes a lot more than a stab wound to the chest to get rid of me. Though I guess I was lucky that you missed my heart, wasn't I?" He taunted.

Atukam pulled out three blades in between his fingers. "This time I won't miss!" He yelled. He threw the blades at Whenua. Whenua quickly ducked and ran to the side. He then rushed at Atukam and smashed into him, driving him into the wall. He then grasped his mask and ripped it off, throwing it to the ground. "Guess you're not going anywhere now are you?" Whenua said.

He grasped the collar of Atukam's cloak with his left hand and pinned him to the wall. "If you expect me to talk, I'm afraid that's not gonna happen." Atukam said with a smirk.

"Who said anything about talking?" Whenua said with a growl. He then started to repeatedly punch Atukam in the face, slowly driving his head into the wall. Whenua's knuckle became bloody as he rained blow upon blow onto Atukam's face. He delivered one final punch before letting go of his collar. Atukam slid to the floor.

He spit blood, "Not very righteous for a Toa are you?" Whenua crouched in front of him and glowered. "In case you didn't notice," Whenua responded, "I'm not an ordinary Toa."

Atukam scoffed, "Don't make me laugh. You Toa are all the same. You're nothing but the tools of an insignificant spirit, who readily follow his rules. Bound by morals all any of you do is wait for destiny to cast you aside when it's finished with you. Your existence is meaningless." He said with contempt.

"You really are blind aren't you, Atukam." Whenua responded with a harsh tone. "You are the one who is the tool. Mata Nui is a guide, who points us in the right direction. He does not force us to do anything. You on the other hand, are bound with a leash to your master, with nothing to do but wait for a command. So allow me to set you free with the sweet release of death."

Atukam laughed mockingly. "Do you really expect me to take you seriously?"

"Let's get down to business shall we?" Whenua said, ignoring Atukam's comment. He pulled out one of his Jackhammers and pulled the end in tightly. Atukam watched as the tip began to glow with light green energy, getting more intense as the pressure grew.

Whenua pointed it right under Atukam's chin, "I do have a duty, so I can't kill you just yet." He said to him. Whenua then picked up one of the sheets of paper. It had a drawing of an orb with swirling energy around it. "What is this, and why does Makuta want it?"

&&&&&&&&

Tehutti ran through the hallways swiftly, following the trail of destroyed Vahki and Bohrok that Whenua had left behind. The other Matoran had found the prisoners and were waiting in front. Tehutti however was too eager to wait for Whenua to get back, so foolishly he decided to go in after him.

Tehutti skidded to a halt as everything started to shake. Green energy suddenly erupted through the left hand wall, only a few feet away. Urgently, Tehutti ran around the corner and pushed open the door.

He looked with shock and horror as he saw Whenua standing over Atukam's dead body. His body lay limp on the ground, his head nearly destroyed. Whenua's right hand was covered in blood, and splashes were on his face and other parts of his body. "Tehutti?" Whenua said staring at him. "You were supposed to wait outside." He said to him very seriously.

Tehutti was shaking as he stood in the doorway. "Y-y-you killed him…" He said lowly. "You're a Piraka…"

Whenua stepped towards him, "Tehutti you have to understand-." He tried to explain.

"Get away from me!" Tehutti yelled angrily. He turned around quickly and ran away, not looking back.

Whenua stared down at his blood-soaked hand, clenching it tightly. "Damn it, Tehutti," He said with a groaning sigh, "You weren't supposed to know about this…no one was…"

&&&&&&&&

Dusk was settling on Metru Nui, the sun barely making an impression through the black clouds.

The Legion of Toa had no home base or main headquarters. Instead they had a series of small encampments throughout Metru Nui. One such camp was situated in the 'Canyon of Unending Whispers' in Po-Metru. It was this place a year ago that the Legion of Toa was established.

Toa often jumped from camp to camp, usually not staying in the same place for longer than a few weeks. At this time, three Toa were staying at this base. They were Nokama, Onua and Onewa. Nokama and Onua had a very strong romantic relationship, which had developed rather quickly, despite Whenua's complete disapproval due to his own feelings, which Nokama seemed strangely oblivious of.

All three Toa stood in an overhang of durable cloth, around a table with a big map of Metru Nui and its districts on it. "So how has the progress in Ta-Metru been?" Nokama asked Onewa.

"Well," Onewa said, pointing with his finger, "I've heard from Vakama that they managed to push back the enemy forces here, here and here." He explained, circling different parts of Ta-Metru with a chalk like writing tool. "However, they've been having trouble defending this quadrant here."

Onua stroked his chin, "So what do you propose they do about it?" He asked.

"Vakama was hoping I could answer that." Onewa said. "So my solution is, if he takes the molten protodermis from these foundries here and here," He said, circling two large buildings, "and diverts their flow to here, he might just be able to create a stronger blockade."

"That's a really good idea," Nokama complimented, "But how long would that take?" She wondered.

Onewa sighed, "That's the only problem. It might take too long for that to work, which could lead to the loss of that district." He said.

They all stared down at the map, pondering on what course of action should be taken. "Hmm?" Nokama said suddenly, taking her gaze away from the map. "Someone's here." She said, walking out of the overhang. Onua followed after her. "Who's here?" He asked.

Nokama had always had natural telepathic abilities, though she is not sure how she got them. Before she did not have much control over it, but after she became a Toa Hordika her abilities increased greatly, letting her read minds, sense emotions and even project her thoughts into others.

Onua's question was answered as soon as he looked off into the distance. Approaching through the twilight, on the back of a Kikanalo, was Whenua. Alongside him were the remaining Matoran in the troop, riding Ussal Crabs. As they arrived they all dismounted from their Rahi. Whenua landed in front of Onua and Nokama. Nokama immediately had a cold shiver run up her spine as she made eye contact with Whenua.

Whenua looked up at his Kikanalo. He made a few clicks and growls and the Kikanalo snorted in response, stomping away.

"Welcome back, Whenua!" Onewa yelled, now coming out of the shelter as well. Whenua smiled slightly as he hit fists with Onewa. "Was your mission successful?" He asked.

"More or less." Whenua answered plainly. He glanced over to Tehutti for a second, who was walking by with Jala and Vhisola. Tehutti gave Whenua a cold stare, before turning away and continuing on.

Nokama gasped slightly, having noticed the strange bitterness between the two friends. "Where can I get some water?" Whenua asked.

"In that tent over there." Onewa answered, pointing. Whenua responded with thanks, before walking away.

Nokama stared at him worriedly. She then followed after him. Onua quickly grabbed her hand, "What is it?" He asked. He had noticed that she seemed bothered as soon as Whenua had arrived.

"I have a bad feeling," Nokama responded uneasily. "I think Whenua did something horrible."

Onua grumbled, "You're not thinking of confronting him about it are you?" He asked her.

"Yes I am," Nokama answered, "I don't want what happened to Nuju to happen again."

"Then let someone else do it," Onua said with disapproval. "I don't trust him. I fear if you confront him about this his aggression might surface again. He's dangerous Nokama, ever since he became a Toa Hordika. I just don't want you to get hurt like last time."

Nokama leaned forward and kissed Onua softly, "Don't worry about me. He won't do anything to me. You don't understand how bad he felt about what he did a year ago. I _know_ he won't do anything again." She said reassuringly.

"Just…be careful." Onua said to her with concern. Nokama smiled back, "I will." She answered. Nokama turned around; leaving Onua behind her and heading towards the tent Whenua had entered.

She walked in; Whenua's back was turned to her. He was hunched over a bowl of water washing his hands and face. "What do you want?" He asked gruffly.

"I wanted to see if everything was okay." Nokama responded innocently.

Whenua glanced back at her for a second; water dripping from his face. He then turned back. "Why would you ask a question I'm almost certain you know the answer to?" He asked.

"Of course," Nokama said, realizing how obvious it was that she had sensed it, "So, why did Tehutti look at you like that? I assume that would be a more appropriate question."

"I'm going to be completely honest with you," Whenua said, "I killed Atukam. Unfortunately, Tehutti was there to witness it. I never intended for him or anyone to find out though. This was supposed to be my business alone."

Nokama's eyes were filled with disbelief. "How could you go against the Toa code and murder someone?" She shook her head in astonishment, "I'm not sure what disturbs me more; the fact that you killed him, or the fact that I can't sense any remorse in you whatsoever."

Whenua dried his hands and face, leaving the bowl murky with blood. He then turned to Nokama. "It was something I felt had to be done. I could no longer let him do the things he did, therefore, I decided to act."

"But that's not your decision to make!" Nokama argued angrily. "Everyone deserves a second chance, Whenua. It is up to Mata Nui to decide if someone has gone beyond redemption. What you have done isn't righteous or noble; all you've done is lower yourself to their level. You're just making yourself no better than them."

"That's enough!" Whenua shouted angrily. He grasped Nokama's shoulders tightly. His eyes were furious as they stared into Nokama's. She was startled, but not afraid. Whenua realised his state of rage and released Nokama. "Sorry…" He said lowly.

"I'm not asking you to agree with my decision, but don't you dare even try to compare me to them." Whenua said very seriously. "I may love fighting just as much, if not more, than any of them. But when it gets down to it, I enjoy the fight much more than the kill. The only feeling I get from the kill is satisfaction."

"And what satisfaction could you possibly receive from being barbaric and ruthless?" Nokama retorted.

"The feeling I get is from knowing that I have done my duty." Whenua answered. "That I have kept my honour as a Toa and protected those I am entitled to, and those that I care for. In times such as these there is no such thing as mercy. The only mercy I will grant my enemies is a quick death."

Nokama stared back at Whenua, her anger replaced with curiosity. "Why do you insist on taking a different path than the one that has been laid down for you?" Nokama asked.

"Because I make my own decisions and I make my own destiny. I may follow the code's direction, but I choose my own path to take." Whenua explained. "However, I'm not preaching my beliefs, I am merely stating them. I made this choice myself, and I'm sure you've made your own choices as well. If you can't trust in my own decisions then I guess that's too bad." Whenua said with a hard tone.

Nokama stood still as Whenua walked past her. As he was about to exit the tent, he felt a hand placed softly on his shoulder. He glanced back at her questioningly. "That still doesn't give you the right to murder." She said, looking sullen.

Whenua made a small laugh. "You know," He said with a smile, "You're cute when you're angry." He turned forward again and left the tent.

A light blue blush appeared across Nokama's face for a second. "Hey! Wait a minute!" She yelled, following after him. "Did you at least get any information?" She asked, walking quickly to catch up with him. Whenua was heading towards his Kikanalo.

"As a matter of fact, I did." He answered. He reached into a pouch that was slung over his Kikanalo, pulling out a folded piece of paper. He handed it to Nokama. She curiously unfolded it. On it was a picture of an orb with swirling energy around it. "What is it?" She asked.

"Atukam told me that it was an object of great power, something that could exponentially increase and alter the powers of a being, a weapon or even a mask." Whenua explained, "The only problem is he refused to tell me what Makuta wanted it for. He said even if I tortured him, he would never tell me."

Nokama stared down at the picture with wonder, "Where were you when you found this?" She asked.

"I was in some old records building in Onu-Metru." Whenua said.

"We should show this to the others as soon as possible." Nokama said, looking back up at Whenua.

"I agree," Whenua said tiredly, "But for now I think it would be best if we got some rest."

Author's Notes:  Well, that ends the first chapter of Ultimate Bionicle 2. Hope you liked it. I had to rewrite it a number of times but I'm happy with the result. Please review.

There is a picture of Tehutti on my Brickshelf account. To view just click the homepage link in my profile.


	2. Set Ablaze in the Night

ULTIMATE BIONICLE 2

**All infernos begin with a spark.**

Chapter 2: Set Ablaze in the Night

The night was cool and silent, a rare luxury that the Matoran had taken advantage of to rest their bodies soundly. The Toa knew, however, that the night can be deceiving. For no one truly knows what lurks in the shadows.

Outside, Whenua is leaning against a rigid stone wall with his arms folded; a position he finds most comfortable when there is nowhere to lie down. He was protective, and often caught only glimpses of sleep when he got the chance. They were dangerous times, and the Matoran needed the sleep more than he did. At least, that was the excuse he would use when questioned. However, the peacefulness of the moment got the better of the black Toa Hordika, and he had succumbed to sleep's welcome arms as well.

Sometimes when Whenua would fall asleep, he'd be thrown into something so horrible that he would rather stay awake in the chaos of the real world. Though it wouldn't happen too often, it left him full of dread towards the very thought of a full nights sleep. This night, was one of those nights where he wished he had stayed awake.

Whenua's eyes were cringed and shut tightly, a disturbed and anxious expression on his face. He grunted and growled with discomfort. He grasped his arms tightly and his eyes shot open. "Gugh!" He shouted as he awoke. He was breathing hard and his heart was racing so much that he could hear the pounding in his ears. He then sighed heavily as he slid down the wall and sat.

Whenua suddenly felt a stinging pain in both arms. He examined them to find that they were bleeding. It appeared he had dug his fingers into them in his sleep. "I guess that's what woke me up." He said lowly. He stared blankly at the ground, resting his right arm on his knee, letting his hand hang limply. "I hate that nightmare…" He murmured. "So much clearer this time…"

Slowly he rose to his feet, all desire to even try to sleep gone. He observed the camp; torches lit it in a number of places, creating bubbles of orange light. The tents were all dark, full of tired Matoran.

Suddenly something caught Whenua's eye. It was the glimmer of a flame off the blade of a sword. Whenua slowly walked towards it. As he got closer he realized that it was Tehutti holding the blade.

Silently he walked over to Tehutti, making certain that he could not hear him. Tehutti was sitting on a large rock next to a torch, making scratches in the dirt with his sword. Whenua stood behind him, "Couldn't sleep?" He asked.

Tehutti flinched from surprise and turned quickly, pointing his blade. As soon as he saw that it was Whenua he lowered it again. "What do you want?" He asked coldly. He faced forward again and stared at the ground.

Whenua sat down next to him, "I want to talk to you about what you saw earlier." He said calmly.

Tehutti scoffed, "What's there to talk about?" He had a smug expression and didn't look up at Whenua.

Whenua sighed with slight frustration, "I'm going to tell you a story to better put this in perspective for you, because I don't think just explaining myself will suffice."

Tehutti continued to stare at the ground. "I'm listening." He said unenthusiastically.

Whenua closed his eyes heavily, "About two months ago, I was on a mission in Le-Metru, which is when I had encountered Atukam for the second time. He was holding a Matoran hostage with him, pointing a blade at the Matoran's neck. He told me, if I didn't want this Matoran to die, I would have to put down my weapons and surrender. I reluctantly complied, and allowed him to chain me up. As soon as he had me restrained I demanded he let the Matoran go. And do you know what he did next?" Whenua asked, opening his eyes and looking down at Tehutti.

Tehutti was resting his head in his hands, "No…what did he do?" He asked with intrigue.

"He stabbed the Matoran to death right in front of me, and he laughed while he did it. I had to listen to his last painful whimpers before finally dieing. Atukam then stabbed me in the chest with a large blade and left me for dead." Whenua said; his eyes lost in the memory.

Tehutti looked up at him curiously, "So, is that why you killed him? So you could get revenge for this Matoran?"

"No," Whenua answered, "I killed him because someone that malevolent does not deserve to live. He got the punishment he deserved."

"So are you telling me that killing is the right thing to do?" Tehutti asked.

"Not always," Whenua said, shaking his head, "I never kill anyone unless I have a good reason."

Tehutti smiled up at his mentor, having a new feeling of understanding towards him. He looked back down at the dirt. "Hey Whenua…" He said lowly.

"What is it?" Whenua asked. Tehutti had a distant look in his eyes.

"If I was ever killed…would you avenge _my_ death?" He looked back up at Whenua. The earth Toa was caught a little off guard by the question. Tehutti continued to stare up at Whenua, expectantly waiting for an answer.

Just at that moment, Whenua heard the faintest sound of multiple footsteps running towards them. "Get down!" He yelled, pushing Tehutti out of the way. Whenua was then tackled down by seven or eight Tahnok.

As Tehutti got back to his feet he saw that several tents were engulfed in flames. "FIRE!!! THERE'S A FIRE!!!" He heard one of the guards yell.

Tehutti immediately recognized one of the tents that were ablaze. "Vhisola's in there!" Tehutti yelled desperately. He ran towards the tent as fast as he could.

Whenua struggled to hold back all the Tahnok that were on top of him; their claws burning into him. With a great burst of strength Whenua managed to push them all off.

With furious rage Whenua fired a Rhotuka blast towards them, the surface of the ground bursting upwards under its path. The blast decimated half of them. Whenua then lodged his fist through the face plate of one of them, destroying the Krana inside.

Whenua turned and spin-kicked another away, and grabbed a third one by the arm and spun it around quickly and tossed it. He then punched his fist into the ground, and built up energy, causing green energy to emanate from the hole. A glowing green crack shot forward across the ground, towards where the Tahnok was going to land. As it hit the ground Whenua yelled, "Tremor Blast!" and the energy erupted forth, destroying it.

The heat inside the tent was intense, making it hard to even see and the smoke was so thick that Tehutti had to cover his mouth to try and breathe. Everything was burning up quickly, the support beams and walls. He didn't have much time. There were as many as six Matoran in the room and the smoke had rendered them unconscious. "_How am I gonna get them all out of here?_" He wondered anxiously.

Tehutti suddenly looked behind him to see Jala standing there. "Grab those two now!" Jala said, proceeding to pick up some passed out Matoran. Tehutti nodded in agreement, "Right."

They carried the Matoran out two at a time. They lay each one carefully on the ground. Tehutti spotted Vhisola and crouched next to her worriedly. "Jala she's not breathing." He said with slight panic.

Jala was crouching down as well, examining the others. "These ones seem fine. But it looks like Vhisola's going to need mouth-to-mouth." He said with a grin.

"What's with the grin?" Tehutti questioned

"Well, who's going to do it then?" Jala asked, his grin growing. Tehutti began to blush.

Whenua, having finished off the Tahnok that attacked him, spotted Onewa helping some Matoran out of another tent. He ran up to him. "Is everyone out? Are they okay?"

"Yeah," Onewa responded, setting the Matoran down safely, "Any idea what started to the fire?"

Whenua quickly summoned up some earth and smothered the flame. "Yeah," He answered, "Some Tahnok attacked me earlier. Is Nokama alright?"

Onewa nodded, "She's over there putting out more fire." The stone Toa Hordika said, pointing. Whenua acknowledged but didn't bother to look. "I was hoping I would get to have a peaceful night for a change. Guess that's too much to ask. On top of that, it looks like the whole camp might not survive this." Onewa said with exasperation.

As Whenua stared through the smoke of the smothered fire he noticed someone standing at the top of the canyon wall. It was a hunched figure with glowing orange eyes and glowing green claws on one arm, and he was surrounded by more Tahnok as well. "Vorak…" Whenua mumbled bitterly. Vorak turned around and began to walk away, the Bohrok following after him.

Whenua went into a sprint, heading towards the canyon. "Where the heck are you going?!" Onewa shouted after him. He didn't get an answer.

With an incredible leap Whenua grasped onto the side of the cliff and began to climb with furious speed. As he got close to the top he pulled himself up with great force, launching himself into the air. As he rose above the side of the cliff he pulled out his Jackhammers and land with a thump.

Whenua then looked around puzzled. The area was desolate and flat, with no buildings for at least a mile. But strangely, there was no sign of Vorak or the Bohrok that were with him at all.

He put his Jackhammers away once more. "It's not unlike Vorak to disappear like this," Whenua said, thinking aloud, "But how does an entire troop of Bohrok disappear with him?"

Whenua turned back around, feeling seemingly disappointed from losing a chance to fight Vorak once more. As he stared back down at the small valley below, he saw the many Matoran confused and lost in the darkness. The tents that once littered the area were now nothing more than charred remains lying broken in the dirt.

Whenua leapt down, landing with a hard thump on the ground below. He chuckled with amusement at the sight of Nokama and Onewa stumbling blindly in the darkness. Onua of course, had no trouble seeing.

"Whenua, use your mask to make some light!" Nokama yelled out.

"Yeah, yeah," Whenua said. A bubble of light suddenly expanded around him, though it appeared to have no source. The eyes of the Matoran, Nokama and Onewa all turned to him.

"Gather near the light!" Onua yelled out to the Matoran. Everybody grouped together near to Whenua. The four Toa huddled separately.

"They somehow got through the outside defences and right to us." Onewa said, assessing the situation. "How could they have done that without us knowing?"

"We don't know, Onewa." answered Nokama. "They must have broken through too quickly. But we can't stay here anymore."

"Impossible," Whenua argued, shaking his head, "There weren't enough Bohrok to have broken through that defence."

"Either way, we still can't stay here. If they got in once, they'll get in again. We should probably head to Ga-Metru. At least they've got an actual fortress." Onua suggested logically.

"Isn't that where the Amana Volo stone is being held?" Onewa asked. Nokama nodded in answer.

The Amana Volo stone was an object with the incredible ability to revive the deceased. After its use on Matau a year ago, it lost its glow, symbolizing its need to regain its power. The stone stays dormant for a year, before being able to be used again.

Makuta had sought after the stone on numerous occasions throughout the war, for obvious reasons. That was why it was kept in the strongest of the Legion of Toa's headquarters.

"I suggest we leave as soon as day breaks." Whenua said, folding his arms and sitting cross-legged on the ground. "We'll need light if we're going to keep track of all these Matoran." He then rested his eyes.

Nokama turned around to give the Matoran news on what was going to happen. "Now get some rest and you'll be woken when the sun rises!" She concluded.

Whenua removed the bubble of light that surrounded him, turning the canyon black once more. The Toa then lay themselves down as well, getting ready to rest for the remainder of the night.

Nokama lay next to Onua. She opened her eye for a moment. It was so dark she couldn't even see anything directly in front of her. She then noticed Whenua's emerald green eyes in the darkness, his gaze fixated on her. "What is it?" She whispered.

Whenua eyes slowly trailed to the ground in front of him. "Nothing," He said lowly, "Nothing at all."

"Aren't you going to sleep?" She asked with concern.

"No." Whenua answered gruffly.

"Why not?" She asked curiously. Nokama waited for a while, until she figured that Whenua was not going to answer her. She closed her eyes and nuzzled up closer to Onua.

&&&&&&&&

Makuta stood on the balcony of the Coliseum, overlooking all of Metru Nui. He was tapping one of the large talons on his right hand on the handrail, leaving a cracked groove in the stone.

In the shadows of the doorway stood Vorak; waiting for his master to sense his presence. "Is it done?" Makuta asked impatiently.

"Yes," Vorak answered, "The closest base to Ga-Metru has now been taken care of." He had a hint of bitterness in his speech. Whether it was directed towards Makuta or not was uncertain.

"Good," Makuta said, pleased with the news. "Now all you have to do is bait the lure and they will come like a moth to the flame. You'll be taking Nidhiki with you this time."

Vorak groaned with disapproval. "Why not Grievous?"

"Grievous is out looking to see if Atukam has done his job, so he won't be back for a while." Makuta said with annoyance. "That's not a problem is it?" He asked with a scowl.

Vorak grumbled, "No…it's not a problem." He then backed away into the chamber.

Author's Notes: What could Makuta be planning for the Legion of Toa now? Whatever it is, they had better be ready…or else.


	3. Vulnerability

ULTIMATE BIONICLE 2

**The hardest battles aren't always fought against someone stronger than you.**

Chapter 3: Vulnerability

The early morning sun leaked what little light it could through the thick, black clouds. The grey, bleak landscape was covered with the remains of buildings, Vahki and Bohrok.

The remainder of those who were in the Po-Metru camp had long since left the area, trekking to Ga-Metru. The Toa rode atop Kikanalo, while the Matoran rode Ussal Crabs. The Toa were in front, leading the group. Whenua and Onewa were each on their own Kikanalo, while Nokama and Onua shared one. Each Ussal had as many as three Matoran on them as well.

Whenua's eyes scanned back and forth slowly, keeping a sharp eye out for the enemy. "It just doesn't make any sense at all." Onewa said to him with frustration. "The outside defence was perfectly fine. How the heck did they get in if they didn't go through there?"

"I don't know," answered Whenua impatiently, "Maybe you should figure that out when we get to Ga-Metru, instead of pestering me about the whole way there."

"Sorry," Onewa said sheepishly, "It's just that I can't help myself. If I don't figure this out soon, it's gonna drive me nuts. Besides, you know how much I love a good riddle."

"I hate riddles," Whenua stated, "I always thought you loved to build things though, like that Matoran from Onu-Koro. What was his name again? He had an orange Pakari."

"Uh," Onewa pondered, "I think his name was Napuru or something like that. But, yeah, I love to build. But that requires problem solving in its own way sometimes too. That's all just a necessity for war though. Well, for now anyways."

"What do you mean 'for now'?" Whenua asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Well," Onewa answered, happy that Whenua had asked, "Since I'm sure this'll all be over soon, I want to start my own weapon crafting business, and sell my work." He said with a proud smile.

Whenua furrowed his brow, "You do realize you're a Toa right? You can't just open a business. You have more important duties. And what makes you so confident that this'll end soon anyways? We might not even win this, so why the hell are you focusing on that now?"

Onewa shook his head with frustration, "Why do I even talk to you? Would it kill you to have a more positive outlook for once? We've been holding together pretty well considering our numbers. I think this could be over in a matter of months."

"Whatever you say, Onewa." Whenua said sarcastically. "You know, sometimes your whole 'look on the bright side of things' attitude is a real annoyance."

"Hey!" Onewa argued, "Don't put words in my mouth like that." He retorted angrily. "There is no bright side to this. Look up for cryin' out loud." Onewa gestured to the dark clouds in the sky. "It doesn't get much darker than that. Everyday I have to live knowing that somewhere out there Matoran are dieing. I'm not stupid Whenua, so don't act like I am. Unlike you, I just look forward to a bright future. I swear, sometimes it sounds like you don't want this to end at all."

Whenua was silent, staring off into the distance. "…of course I want this to end… The only problem is…" He stopped in mid sentence.

"What?" Onewa asked impatiently.

"Forget it," Whenua answered, "It's not important. At least not right now anyways."

Onewa simply shrugged, not wanting to venture where he was not welcome. Up ahead the bridge to Ga-Metru was within sight, about a hundred metres away. The sound of the water lapping against the walls of the canal could be heard through the dead silence. Onewa shuddered for only a moment.

"So, is there anything new between you and Nokama?" He whispered, changing the subject.

Whenua glared over at him, "I already told you; there isn't going to be anything between us."

Onewa laughed to himself, "I don't believe you. You of all people wouldn't give up so easily on something."

"It's not giving up. It's moving on. Now I'd rather not talk about this anymore." Whenua said dismissively. He glanced back at the two on the Kikanalo, about twenty feet behind them. He turned forward again, scowling slightly to himself.

Suddenly an energy bolt struck him in the chest, sending him flying off the back of his Kikanalo. Nidhiki stood atop a building off to the side. "Attack!" He yelled. A mass of forty or fifty Vahki and Bohrok clambered over buildings and rubble and began their assault on the group of Toa and Matoran.

"It's an ambush!" Onua yelled. He and Nokama then quickly dismounted as the Matoran all got off of their Ussal Crabs and began to fight. Many Matoran stood in a straight line, firing their Kanoka launchers in a large barrage against the enemy.

"Damn it!" Onewa grunted, jumping off his Kikanalo as well. He landed, swinging one of his clubs into the head of an oncoming Vahki. "_This is just what we need, another damn attack._" He thought with frustration.

Onewa extended and spun his chained clubs in every direction, smashing through countless foes. The ground underneath him erupted upwards as Vorak burst through it, slashing Onewa up along the torso with his large, robotic claw. Onewa fell back, feeling the burning pain of the slash on his chest.

Vorak extended his black claw, and pointed the palm towards Onewa, firing a ray of shadow energy towards him. Onewa rolled to the side, but Vorak's blast continued to follow after him, ripping into the ground as it did.

Onewa got to his knees and leapt backwards before the wave could reach him.

Vorak stopped firing his blast. Whenua suddenly ran into him, catching Vorak in his arms and wrapping them around the Rahkshi tightly, crushing him. Whenua continued to sprint forward, smashing him through a wall.

"Good luck, Whenua." Onewa said thankfully. Nidhiki's two claws suddenly clamped down onto his torso from behind. Onewa yelled out in pain as Nidhiki lifted him up in the air.

"Prepare to die!" Nidhiki yelled maliciously, grasping his vice like hands harder onto Onewa's body.

"I'm coming, Onewa!" Onua yelled, running towards them. Onua shifted part of the earth upwards, crashing it into Nidhiki's underside and knocking him off balance. He dropped Onewa as he fell onto his side. Onua then jumped into the air, pulling back his chainsaws.

Nidhiki caught Onua before he could reach him and drove him into the earth. Nidhiki then got back onto his four legs and pull back his other claw as he held Onua on the ground.

Nokama jumped and kicked Nidhiki in the chin, and then slashed her Fin Barbs downwards into his chest. Nidhiki let out a cry of pain as Nokama swung herself around him, her hooked weapons digging along his body. With a mighty yank she brought Nidhiki down to the floor once more.

Nokama crouched next to Onua, "Are you okay?" She asked.

"I'll be fine." He said with a reassuring smile. Nokama then helped Onua back to his feet. Nokama was suddenly struck with the back of Nidhiki's claw, sending her hurling forward.

Nidhiki thrust his claw towards Onua, but he quickly blocked it with his chainsaws, the force causing him to skid backwards. Onua watched as he saw Onewa's clubs wrap tightly around the insectoid's neck, constricting him. Nidhiki tried desperately to pry the chains off, but his hands were too massive. "Curse you!" He yelled hatefully.

Onua revved his chainsaws loudly as he ran towards Nidhiki. The hunter quickly looked down and fired an energy web, catching Onua in it and pinning him to the ground. Nidhiki then swung his torso with great strength, lifting Onewa off his feet by the chains and tossing him away. The slack on the chains loosened as Onewa let go and went crashing to the ground. Nidhiki grabbed the chains and unravelled then, letting them drop.

He turned around and was struck across the face by one of Whenua's Jackhammers. As Whenua fell he double kicked Nidhiki in the chest, causing him to stumble backwards.

Vorak suddenly appeared above the Toa Hordika, and drove his head into the ground with his mechanized claw. He then looked up at Nidhiki impatiently, "Knock out Onua!" He instructed, pointing at the Toa Nuva that was still struggling in the energy web. Vorak was then struck in the face by Whenua kicking upwards.

Nidhiki approached the Toa Nuva of Earth, picking him up by the torso. He pulled his right claw over his left shoulder. "I guess we choose you." He said with a fiendish smile.

"What?" Onua wondered angrily. Nidhiki backhanded Onua in the head as hard as he could, sending him spinning to the floor.

Nokama saw what happened to her lover and quickly ran to his aid. She fired a water Rhotuka at the four-legged hunter, hitting him with a large flood. She knelt next to Onua, examining him closely. "He's out cold…"

Whenua had Vorak pinned to the wall with the side of his left Jackhammer. "It's time to finish this." He said, his right Jackhammer starting up with a roar. He thrust it upwards towards Vorak's head. The Jackhammer reached its destination, but went through nothing but thin air. Vorak was gone. "What the hell…" Whenua wondered.

Vorak appeared behind Whenua and kicked him through the wall. "Ahahahaha, I have to hand it to your Matoran, they make really good masks. Teleportation is one of the most useful powers I've ever had." He said with a grin.

"Damn you." Whenua said, staggering to his feet. "I don't care how many powers you have. I will not rest until you're dead!"

Vorak smirked with contentment, "Now that's what I like to hear. I guess you're not a fool after all. It's a shame you won't use such a killer instinct to its full potential."

Whenua scowled, "I'm nothing like you Vorak. You're nothing but a monster."

"Don't be a hypocrite, Whenua" Vorak taunted.

Whenua stared at Vorak with silent hatred, but did not retaliate against the Shadow Rahkshi's remark.

Nidhiki smashed into the wall behind Vorak. He turned to where Nidhiki had come from. He saw Nokama running towards Nidhiki, and Onua lying unconscious on the ground. He turned back to Whenua, "Sorry, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to cut this short."

"What?" Whenua questioned.

Vorak teleported next to Onua, "Time for the fun to begin…" He whispered with an evil smile.

"Get back here!" Whenua yelled as he ran towards him. By the time he got there, Vorak had once again teleported away. "Coward…" Whenua said with frustration. He turned around to assist Nokama. As he started to walk away he heard the rev of a chainsaw, and he suddenly felt a horrid stinging sensation as it began to dig into his right arm.

"Arrgh! Onua! What the hell are you doing?!" Whenua shouted through his pain, turning his head in order to see his assailant.

Nokama turned quickly upon hearing Whenua's cry. Shock and terror filled her eyes, her gaze fixated on the shocking event that was taking place. She forgot about Nidhiki, and ran as fast as she could towards the two Earth Toa.

Whenua was now facing Onua, using his arm as a shield, having dropped his weapons during the attack. "Whenua don't hurt him!" Nokama begged as she ran to his aid.

"That's easy for you to say!" The black Toa Hordika shouted painfully.

Nokama jumped through the air and kicked Onua in the shoulder, knocking him away. Whenua fell to his knees, grasping his right arm, which was now throbbing with pain, blood running down it. "So what, you get to hurt him?" Whenua questioned angrily.

"I held back, and I know you wouldn't have." Nokama said.

"Nice to know you've got such trust in me." He responded sarcastically.

Nokama ignored his comment. She watched carefully as Onua clumsily rose to his feet. As he turned to her she saw that his eyes were half open and looked dead. He was not even conscious. "He's being controlled!" Nokama said with realization.

"Say what?" Whenua said with astonishment. He then realized what it was. "Vorak you bastard…" He said lowly.

Onua ran at Nokama, swinging his chainsaws violently. She dodged from side to side, "Onua, listen to me! You have to wake up! You're stronger than this!" Nokama pleaded.

Onua kicked at Nokama's legs, knocking her off balance. As she fell backwards he swung his chainsaws down at her. Whenua quickly shoulder checked Onua, sending him to the ground.

"Please don't interfere, Whenua!" Nokama insisted, rising to her feet.

Nokama ran past. Whenua scoffed, "Your welcome."

Nokama approached Onua, "If he isn't able to break free, then I'll just have to help him do it." In an instant she focused her telepathic abilities, but Onua came at her too quickly, slashing towards her face. She barely managed to avoid it, it having left a scratch across her cheek.

She stumbled back as Onua relentless, and almost blindly, swung his chainsaw at her. "_Damn it! I can't focus!_" Nokama thought with frustration. She fell onto her back and kicked upward into Onua's jaw. However, she had held back to much, and Onua came down upon her. She quickly grasped Onua's wrists, holding his chainsaws back.

Onua pressed down with his mighty strength. Nokama stared up at him, her mind too filled with anguish and pain to concentrate. "Please Onua, stop this, I'm begging you!" She pleaded tearfully. She felt her arms beginning to lose their strength, Onua's weapons moving closer and closer. "_I can't hold on anymore!_" She thought painfully, "I love you Onua! I know you couldn't do this to anyone! Don't let Vorak turn you into a murderer!" Her cries of desperation fell on deaf ears, Onua not conscious to ear them.

A hand grasped Onua's shoulder and pulled him off of Nokama. She watched with surprise as Whenua struck him hard in the face, sending him flying. Onua landed near the edge of the canal, nearly falling into the deep, dark water.

Whenua helped Nokama to her feet. "Are you alright?" He asked.

She nodded in response, "Thank you." She then uttered. She then stepped towards Onua, who was slowly getting up once more.

"You can't do this alone." Whenua said to her.

"Yes I can, Whenua." Nokama retorted, "I love him, and he loves me. That is what will set him free. You can't just fight your way out of everything." She began to walk forward once more.

"You'll get killed!" Whenua shouted, grasping her arm.

Nokama delivered a hard kick backwards into Whenua's face. "I will not have _you_ interfere!" Whenua was knocked off his feet, flipping and landing on his stomach.

Whenua coughed into the dirt clenching his teeth tightly. "What the hell is wrong with you?!"

"If you get involved it will only make things worse." Nokama said lowly.

"You really don't trust me at all do you?" Whenua asked with amazement. His eyes suddenly widened with horror. Neither of them had been paying attention to Onua. The blade of his chainsaw met with Nokama's waist, digging in deeply. "NO!!!" Whenua yelled.

The pain was excruciating. It all had happened so suddenly that Nokama had gone numb before even being able to cry out in pain. Blood poured out as she felt her body begin to weaken. Onua then lifted her into the air, the chain still running. He flicked her body away, sending it towards the canal. It landed with a hard splash, Nokama's body then began to sink into the abyss.

"Damn you!" Whenua cursed, getting to his feet quickly. Before he could do anything, Onua simply collapsed before him. Onua's body then suddenly levitated into the air. Whenua looked over to see Nidhiki and Vorak standing off to the side. Onua's body floated over to them, and Nidhiki grasped it in between one of his massive claws.

"Let him go." Whenua demanded.

"I'm afraid we can't do that." Vorak said with a devilish smile. "You'll have to make a choice. Fight us for this Toa, or save the one in the canal. That is assuming she's not dead already."

Whenua stared at the ground, not making a response. "That's what I thought." Vorak said with a grin. "Let's go." Vorak and Nidhiki then left, leaving Whenua alone.

He looked back towards the rest of the group for a moment. The Matoran were all a fair distance away now, all waiting; having destroyed the last of the small troop of Makuta's soldiers. He spotted Onewa amongst them, making sure they were safe. Whenua then set his eyes upon the canal Nokama had fallen into, quickly running towards its edge. He stared down at the water, which was now dark red with blood, no bubbles reaching the surface.

&&&&&&&&

Nokama's vision was blurry, the extreme loss of blood making her dizzy and light headed. She could see her thick blood leaking out of her, rising above her through the water. "_I'm…gonna die…_" She thought to herself, "_I'm actually gonna die…_"

She couldn't tell whether it was her or the water that felt so cold. She begged her muscles to allow her to swim, something water Toa are hailed for, but she could barely get her fingers to twitch. The pain she felt the most was in her heart, the mental anguish overtaking her.

She remembered when she first became a Toa, and when she had first met all of the other Toa Metru. She remembered traveling to Mata Nui, the fond memory of when she first met Onua and when she first held him on the cliff in Po-Metru. She did not blame Onua, or anyone else for that matter. She only wished she could see them all again. But there was no one above she knew that could save her from this fate

Nokama began to feel herself slipping away; the cold, black, deafening abyss consuming her. She felt something hard squeeze tightly around her wrist, before her eyes slammed shut and her senses died away.

There was then darkness… Nothing but darkness…


	4. Decision Time

ULTIMATE BIONICLE 2

Author's Note: In the past I have been known for fast updates. However, as some of you may know, they have been rather slow lately. I'd just like to state that this is due to the lack of reviews I have received, which right now is 0. Though I would never stop writing because of this, since finishing this story means a lot to me, I would really appreciate it if I could receive some reviews. I find that reviews really motivate me, and get my creative juisces flowing, but this current lack of reviews has really been bothering me. I would appreciate it tremendously, even if I were to receive just one or two reviews a chapter. I'd just really love to hear some feedback again. Thank you for reading, and have a Merry Christmas.

Now that that's out of the way, on with the story!

**Sometimes a question of honor can sway a warrior's heart more than the tearful pleas of others.**

Chapter 4: Decision Time

"I am sick and tired of sitting on the sidelines while all the others get to do all the fighting!" _He_ yelled angrily, "We had a deal and you haven't fulfilled you're your part of the bargain. If it keeps going like this then he will be dead before I can get to him."

Makuta grunted with amusement, "You're far too eager to kill. A statement, even I myself, find ironic to say to someone. In order for things to work out the way we want them to, the Toa must stick around a little bit longer. Then you will get what you want."

"But that's what you said before!" _He_ retorted. "And ever since I've gotten well I've been nothing but a caged beast, and you know what they say happens when you cage a beast for too long without feeding it." _He_ said rather boldly.

"At that time it didn't matter what you did. However, the current situation calls for a different approach. And if you continue to talk to me like you are somehow my equal, I'll make sure you never utter a word again."

"I don't care about your damn pointless conquest or your stupid plans with the Toa." _He_ sneered. "And I sure as hell am tired of taking orders from the likes of you."

"What was that?!" Makuta questioned furiously.

"I think you heard me just fine," _He_ responded, "Working for you is a waste of my time, so it's about time I became self-employed."

Before Makuta could react _he_ ran towards the balcony and leapt off of the Coliseum. As _he_ fell he passed by Vorak, who was levitating up along the tower.

Vorak landed on the balcony, Makuta was standing there silently. "Did you want me to stop him?" Vorak asked.

"No," Makuta said, "His involvement makes no difference at this point. So let him have his fun. He won't stand a chance if he tries anyways." Makuta then looked down at Vorak, noticing that he was empty handed. "Weren't you supposed to come back with someone?" He asked rhetorically.

"Yeah, and I did." Vorak answered, "Nidhiki is carrying in Onua, the Toa Nuva of Earth."

"You couldn't have chosen a better hostage." Makuta said with a pleased smile.

"Hostage?" Vorak asked, "I thought we were going to use him against them."

"We are." Makuta answered.

&&&&&&&&

She sat up quickly, gasping as if she hadn't taken a breath in ages. She breathed hard as she scanned the room, feeling confused and out of place. The room had stone walls with many shelves stocked with medical supplies.

She then winced as she felt a horrid stinging sensation in her side. She lifted her blood-stained blanket to she that her waist was completely bandaged up. Then she remembered all that had happened.

Nokama lay back down with a sigh, "Onua…" She muttered sadly. She suddenly looked to her right, having been startled by someone exhaling deeply. Whenua leaned against the wall, his head hanging tiredly. He was fast asleep. "What's he doing here?" She wondered lowly.

As she stared at the sleeping Toa Hordika of Earth, it was almost like she was seeing a different person. The serious and ruthless Whenua that she had known was replaced by one with a relaxed, peaceful look on his face, something she had never seen before. Nokama smiled fondly, the sight of him having a strange, yet calming affect on her.

She turned quickly, having heard someone enter the room. "Oh, you're awake," said Gali with surprise. She was carrying a bowl of food in each hand.

Whenua shook himself awake, blinking tiredly. He looked up at Nokama. He made a low grunt, and then rose to his feet and stretched out, his body stiff from sitting. Whenua then headed towards the door.

"Don't you want to eat something first?" Gali asked.

Whenua shook his head, "Not hungry," He said as he exited.

Gali simply shrugged and sat next to Nokama, placing the food in front of her.

"I wonder what's gotten into him." Gali said.

"He's always angry about something…" Nokama murmured.

Gali pretended not to hear her. "Looks like you're feeling better," She said cheerfully, "We were afraid we might lose you for a while. Do you want something to eat?"

"No thank you, I'm not hungry…" Nokama responded weakly.

Gali sighed with frustration. "You need to build up your strength, so you should really eat something. You have been knocked out for two days."

Nokama's eyes widened, "Two days…?" She said, picking up the bowl of food. A few fruits shipped in from Mata Nui were inside of it. She picked out one of them, and slowly began to eat it. "What happened to Onua?"

Gali stared sadly at the ground, "Whenua told us that Vorak and Nidhiki captured him."

A bitter expression appeared on Nokama's face. "He probably let them take him…" She said with resentment.

Gali was immediately puzzled and shocked by Nokama's statement. "What's with all these negative feelings towards Whenua all of a sudden?"

Nokama sighed, "I don't know…I just don't feel I can trust him the way I used to anymore."

"What do you mean?" Gali asked curiously.

Nokama began to explain, "Until recently I hadn't seen Whenua since we decided to divide ourselves across Metru Nui. Suddenly I see him again, and he's completely different. In the past I had thought it was his natural aggression talking; nothing he would act upon. But then suddenly the very sight of him sent chills up my spine, and my concern became that of actual fear. I don't know if it's because he's a Toa Hordika now that's causing him to act this way, or that it was destined to be. Now I feel that I just can't trust him."

"What are you talking about?" Gali asked with confusion.

"He murdered someone, Gali." Nokama put is simply.

The words struck Gali with blunt force. She knew Whenua was fierce, but she never believed he could actually kill anyone. "Well…it wouldn't be the first time I've known of a fellow Toa killing someone, or having murderous intentions. But my brothers have since learned what it truly takes to be a Toa, and it has not happened again."

"That's the problem, Gali." said Nokama, "I confronted him about it, and I knew he felt no remorse before he even told me. He told me he didn't enjoy it, that it was only the satisfaction of protecting others that he felt. But I knew that was a lie. I could tell that deep down inside, part of him enjoyed it."

"I don't believe it." Gali dismissed. "There's no way-."

"Well it's true!" Nokama exclaimed, "I can sense it. I know how he feels about what he did. It almost seems like he craves it. As far as I know, that was his first murder, and he didn't even hesitate. I watch the whole event in his mind, he-."

"You think just because you have telepathic powers you can just probe the minds of your fellow Toa whenever you want?" Gali cut in. "Who do you think you are?"

"Of course I don't!" Nokama said defensively, "I only do that when I feel I have to. I have never done that without a good reason to I swear."

"You know," Gali said, changing the subject, "For someone who seems to be so self-righteous, you're acting really hatefully towards him."

"I don't hate him… I just…" Nokama was having a hard time responding to what Gali had said.

"You know Nokama," Gali started, "For all I know you could be right. He could very well love to kill. But sometimes you have to accept people for who they and stand by them, no matter how much you may not like it. He's still our friend and he still cares deeply about all of us. If that weren't true then he wouldn't have-."

Pohatu's heavy feet suddenly stepped into the doorway, "Vakama's called a meeting." He said. He glanced over at Nokama and smiled, "Good to see you're feeling better." He said before proceeding to leave.

Gali rose to her feet, helping Nokama up as well, being too weak at the moment. She put her right arm over Gali's shoulder and she helped her hobble over to the doorway and outside.

As they crossed the threshold, Nokama looked to left and was immediately struck with immense regret. In the midst of the heated discussion that had just taken place, she had been telepathically unaware of what was happening in the world around her. Standing there, leaning against the wall was Whenua with his arms folded across his chest, staring right back at her.

Gali stared as well, knowing what was silently going on between the two.

Nokama stuttered a little, struggling to find words to explain herself.

Whenua's expression was blank, almost distant, as he stared at her. Then he raised an eyebrow, "What're you doing just standing there? We've got a meeting to go to." He simply said, turning away and walking ahead.

Nokama stood speechless and puzzled, "_He couldn't have been completely oblivious to what I said could he?_"

"Well you heard him." Gali said, "Let's get going."

&&&&&&&&

Gali lead Nokama to the largest building in the entire encampment. It was a temple with a large arched doorway which appeared to go into a large hall, but the building itself was still significantly smaller than that of the Great Temple.

Much to Nokama's surprise, as they entered the temple, all of the Toa, excluding Onua, were standing there. They all stood in a circle, Vakama standing at the end near the opposite wall. Behind him, in between two torches, was the Amana Volo stone; the life giving stone that they had to keep from Makuta's grasp at all costs.

Vakama stared at Nokama as she entered. "Good to see that you're feeling better," said the Toa Hordika of fire. "You're probably surprised to see all of us here." He continued, acknowledging Nokama's question before it had been asked. "Find yourself a place to stand or sit down, whatever your preference is in your current condition, and we will get down to business."

Nokama responded with a simple nod before Gali helped to set her down among the others.

Vakama looked left and right at his fellow Toa. The torches that were lit behind him gave him a fiery backlight, while it shadowed his front. "In case any of you don't know, I will fill you in on what's been going on." All the other Toa stood and watched eagerly waiting for Vakama to speak.

"Somehow, Makuta discovered the location of every other base that we had throughout Metru Nui. By means we are currently unaware of, he or should I say Vorak, snuck troops through the defenses and completely destroyed each base, but strangely did not bother to make sure everyone was killed. These actions forced all of us to progressively move towards this place, our Ga-Metru base." Vakama explained.

"Well we already knew that. What's your point?" Matau asked impatiently.

"I'm getting to that, Matau." Vakama said irritably. "After much discussion with Tahu and Takanuva, one of the conclusions we have come to is that we have been herded. Makuta has been slowly pushing us towards this spot, and now here we all stand."

"So what does that mean?" Lewa asked, "Wouldn't 'herding' us into one spot only make our chances of success greater if we are together? Every Matoran and all the Toa are here after all."

"On the contrary, not all Toa are here." Vakama reminded, "Onua has been captured by Makuta, and is being held hostage." It appeared that statement was a shock to some of the Toa, since they had arrived much later. "This morning we received this message from a Bohrok that immediately shut down after reaching us. The message stated Onua's whereabouts, and said that if we do not go to rescue him alone, within twenty four hours, he will be executed. This is an obvious trap, but it puts us in a dilemma. If we get killed or captured trying to save him, the Matoran will most likely surrender. That leaves us with only one clear option."

Nokama slowly rose to her feet and look up at Vakama, an angered and tearful expression on her face. "You want to leave him there don't you?"

Vakama sighed and looked down to the floor, "Yes…we decided that that might be best."

"WHAT!" Pohatu yelled, "We can't just leave our brother there!"

"How could you suggest something so heartless?" Gali asked, stunned from the suggestion.

"The lives of many Matoran and their very way of life are at stake if we try to help." Vakama argued, "The life of one Toa is not worth the lives and freedom of hundreds of Matoran. I don't like it anymore than any of you do but we had to make a choice and this is what it has come down to."

"Tahu you actually agreed to this?!" Lewa questioned furiously.

Tahu's gaze trailed to the floor shamefully. "As much as I hate it, Vakama is right."

"You can't just leave him there!" Nokama retorted, "His life is of value to more than just those of us in this room, and you just want to let him rot in the hands of the enemy?" Tears of fury ran down Nokama's face as she spoke.

"I'm sorry, Nokama." Vakama said sincerely, "But I think we have little choice in the matter."

Nokama fell to her knees in disbelief, devastated from what she was hearing. She stared at the floor, her mind blank. "_Have I been betrayed…?_"

What happened next surprised them all, especially Nokama.

Whenua stepped forward out of his silence, and stood in the middle of the circle, facing Vakama. "Where is your honor, Vakama?" Whenua asked.

"What are you talking about?" Vakama questioned.

"You are right, many Matoran lives will be at stake if we try to save him," said Whenua, "However, you cannot make this decision without his consent. When this is all over, he will have a life to go to, and I'm certain he's not going to want to give that up. As Toa we do not sacrifice any lives except our own. So you can't just throw his away. If you had any honor at all you would want to go against the odds and free him! Not just choose the lesser of two evils!"

"So then you would rather choose the greater?!" Vakama retorted. "His life is not equal to that of hundreds of Matoran and I don't want hundreds of others to lose their freedom and be enslaved, just to save him!"

"I would rather have neither happen, and that is what I would choose. Could you really live with that on your conscience? Knowing that you are responsible for his death?" Whenua asked.

Vakama stood there, silently staring at Whenua.

"The only thing at risk if we go to save him is our lives." Whenua said, "Losing our lives is what will ultimately bring the surrender of the Matoran. I don't know about you, but I'd rather die trying than sell out the life of a fellow Toa."

All the other Toa gazed at Vakama expectantly along with Whenua. There stare was so hard that Vakama could almost feel it.

"But in the end, I guess the decision is still left to you," said Whenua, "So what's it gonna be?"


	5. A False Move

ULTIMATE BIONICLE 2

**Knowing the enemy is half the battle. Never just assume.**

Chapter 5: A False Move

Because of Whenua's challenge of Vakama's decision, Vakama ended the meeting to think things through with Takanuva and Tahu. The other Toa scattered themselves throughout the base, patiently and impatiently waiting for the final decision.

Off in a corner, Whenua was in his usual position; leaning against a wall with his arms folded and his eyes closed, thinking about whatever someone like Whenua would think about.

His eyes slowly opened as he heard the soft footsteps of someone approaching. Nokama stood a few feet away from him staring at him silently. "Hey," Whenua said, "Do you need something?"

"Nothing really…" Nokama said lowly. "Where's Tehutti?" She then asked.

"I've got him running around the inside perimeter. It's part of his training." Whenua answered.

Nokama looked to her feet as they shuffled and kicked the dust covered floor. "Listen…" She started, "I just wanted…to thank you for what you did earlier." She continued to stare at the floor, feeling strangely afraid to look up at him. "To be honest…I never expected you of all people…to stand up for Onua like that." She suddenly saw Whenua's feet in front of her. She looked up; he was standing only a few feet away from her.

"You know it's rude not to look at someone when you're talking to them." Whenua said jokingly.

"Sorry." Nokama said nervously. She continued to stand there uncomfortably. "_Why is he staring at me like that?_" She wondered.

"_I wonder why she seems so afraid of me._" Whenua mused to himself curiously. "Anything else you want to say?" He then asked.

"Oh, right," Nokama then remembered, "Vakama has decided to go through with it. We're going to save Onua. We'll be leaving shortly, which is why I was told to find you. Sorry I didn't come to get you before, but thank you for convincing him." Nokama said with a warm smile. "If there's anything I can do to return the favor-."

"There is one thing." Whenua said before she could finish.

"What is it?" She asked curiously.

Whenua's face suddenly became very serious. He stepped closer to her, his face an inch away from hers.

"What are you doing?" Nokama questioned uneasily.

Whenua ignored her. "The one thing you can do for me is simple. I want you to stay **out** of my head at **all** times. You understand?" He demanded.

"I thought you didn't hear what I said when I was talking to Gali." Nokama said with surprise.

"I did, but the rest I'm indifferent to. All I care about is that you keep your mind out of mine." Whenua said very seriously. There was an odd tone of warning in his voice.

Nokama gulped and nodded, "Okay."

Whenua then stepped back. "Good," He said, "Let's get going then."

Whenua walked past Nokama. Her gaze was fixated on him but she did not move. "_What is the matter with him?_" She wondered to herself. She then followed after him.

&&&&&&&&

Tehutti lay on his back in the dirt, breathing hard from exhaustion. They sky was starting to get darker than normal; day was slowly becoming night. "I hate…that Whenua…makes…me do this…" He said lowly to himself.

"Well at least you're done." A voice said from behind him, laughing at Tehutti's misery.

"Shut up…Jala." Tehutti panted.

Jala extended his arm to assist his friend. Tehutti grasped his hand and Jala pulled him to his feet. "How many did Whenua make you do this time?" He asked, laughing a little.

"About…five hundred laps." Tehutti answered, slowly catching his breath.

"Wow he really killed you today, huh?" Jala said as they began to walk.

"Are you kidding?" Tehutti retorted, "Yesterday he made me fight him nonstop until I hit him at least once."

Jala furrowed his brow, "I find that hard to believe. He didn't fight back did he?"

"No," Tehutti answered, "He just evaded like crazy. He's a heck of a lot faster than he looks."

After a brief pause Jala spoke again, "Listen, I've got some exciting news." He said urgently.

"What is it?" Tehutti asked with anticipation.

"The Toa have all left the base to go search for Onua, so Tahu left me in charge!" Jala exclaimed.

"Are you serious?!" Tehutti shouted with disbelief, "He left you in charge of the entire army?! How are you even gonna do that on your own?!"

"That's the best part," Jala said with a grin, "He said I can appoint five other Matoran of my choice to help me out. Matoran have been bugging me for hours about that now."

"Well who are you going to pick?" Tehutti asked expectantly.

"Well my first pick is you." Jala grinned.

"Are you serious?" Tehutti said with amazement.

"Dead serious, you're my right-hand man." Jala said.

"This is incredible!" Tehutti shouted proudly. "Who else did you pick?"

"Well, I'm probably gonna pick Kongu, Hewkii, Halice, and Vhisola." Jala listed.

"You're picking Vhisola too?" Tehutti said gleefully, "This _is_ incredible! It's the three of us, working side by side again. Like always, but this time; in charge. I guess they finally realized how strong we are huh?"

"Well it was _me_ that they actually picked. You do know that don't you?" Jala said cockily. "So really they just recognized _my_ strength." He said with a grin.

"Shut up, Jala." Tehutti said with a laugh, "The only reason you got chosen is because Whenua would never nominate me."

"Why wouldn't Whenua choose you?" Jala asked with confusion, "You're his pupil."

"I don't know…" Tehutti stared at the ground in wonder for a time as they walked. "How come you didn't pick a Ga-Matoran _you_ like though? You didn't have to pick Vhisola just because I'm there." He said, changing the subject.

"Well…" Jala said, starting to blush a little.

"Well what?" Tehutti asked impatiently. "Spit it out."

They began to walk past the thick front gate of the fortress. "She's…not exactly a Matoran." Jala said sheepishly. "She's…Gali…"

Tehutti's eyes widened with surprise, when suddenly a loud banging was heard on the front gate. They both turned their heads quickly towards the noise. "What the heck was that?" Tehutti asked.

"There are four figures standing in front of the gate!" A guard Matoran yelled from the ledge above the gate.

"What are they?!" Jala shouted.

"I don't know!" The guard yelled back.

Jala and Tehutti quickly ran up to the ledge and looked over it. Though it was hard to see in the orange glow of the torches, they could make our four Rahkshi faced beings, one red, one green, one black and one blue. They stood there, staring back up at them. The red one then spoke to the two Matoran. "Greetings Matoran! My name is Norik!" He yelled.

"Well what do you want?!" Jala yelled back.

"We want to talk with the Legion of Toa! Right now!" The green one demanded.

"Do you think we're stupid?!" Tehutti yelled down at them. "Four midget Rahkshi come knocking on our door, and you expect us to just let you in?!"

The green one scowled, "You little twit! How often do you hear Rahkshi talking in the first place?"

The two turned around for a moment, and then turned back. "We hear that a lot!" Jala answered.

"Well we're not Rahkshi, we're Rahaga. So why don't you stop playing fearless leader and let us talk to the Toa. They'll know who we are." The black one said irritably

"Well…we can't do that!" Tehutti yelled down at them.

"Why not?" Norik asked back.

"They're not here right now." Jala answered, "They went looking for someone."

"All of them?" The blue one asked.

"Yeah, all of them. Now go away you stupid Rahkshi!" Tehutti yelled.

"Damn it," Norik mumbled.

The four Rahaga huddled together, "What the heck were the Toa thinking, leaving these two idiots in charge." Iruini said angrily.

"That may be," Gaaki said with a gleam in her eye, "However, these guys are very arrogant, which will lead to foolish decisions based merely on their ego." She explained with a grin.

"So what do you propose we do then?" Bomonga asked.

"Flattery will no doubt work quite easily on them. Just let me handle this." Gaaki replied confidently. The other three Rahaga shrugged, and let her talk.

"This should be interesting." Norik muttered to himself.

"Hey!" Gaaki yelled. "What are your names?"

"Uh, my name is, Jala." Jala said.

"And my name's Tehutti," said Tehutti.

"Well, Tehutti and Jala, you boys must be awfully strong if the Toa decided to leave you guys in charge." Gaaki said slyly.

"What's your point?" Jala asked.

"Well," Gaaki started, "Whether you trust us or not, we have some valuable information for the Toa. Now look at us; we're small and weak. Do you really think strong Matoran such as yourselves would have trouble handling the likes of us?"

"Hmm, you make a good point." Jala said with a grin. "Should we let them in, Tehutti?"

"Are you kidding?" Tehutti questioned, "How do you know they're not tricking us?"

"Well if you don't think you're strong enough, we'll just be on our way then. Don't come crying to me when the Toa get mad for not letting us in." Gaaki said dismissively.

Tehutti grimaced as he saw them start to walk away. "Open the gate, Jala."

As the Rahaga walked away they heard the grinding of gears as the gate was raised. "Wow, you're good." Bomonga said with amazement.

"Nothing special here," Gaaki said simply, "That was just too easy."

&&&&&&&&

Jala and Tehutti stood in a torch lit room. They had no time to gather the other Matoran Jala had chosen, so the meeting was just between the six beings.

"So the Toa Nuva called Onua was captured and they all went out to search for him, based on a message they received from a Bohrok?" Norik clarified.

"Yeah," Jala answered, "The message said they all had to go."

Norik rubbed his forehead with exasperation as they other Rahaga made frustrated sighs.

"How could they be so gullible?" Iruini asked. "I could smell that trap from a mile away!"

"They figured they had two options," Jala defended, "Either they let Onua die there, or try and save him, risking our freedom if they were to get captured or killed. They chose the honorable way; trying to save him no matter what."

"Honorable as that may be," Norik argued, "They failed to see the outcome that is far worse than the ones they considered."

"What do you mean?" Tehutti asked, starting to feel nervous.

"Two others in our group, Pouks and Kualus, have been spying in and out of Makuta's ever since he took over the Coliseum. Just recently they informed us of Makuta's plan." Norik began to tell, "The Toa must have based their plans off of the assumption that Makuta wants as many of you Matoran alive as he possibly can, so that if he wins, he can rule over you all. However, they couldn't have been more wrong. Since there are far more Matoran hiding on the island of Mata Nui, he plans to unleash his entire army on this very base, kill every Matoran, and claim the Amana Volo stone for himself, regardless of the fate of the Toa. And this strike will happen tomorrow at dawn. The Toa will most likely not be back in time."

Jala and Tehutti's eyes widened with fear as they heard the shocking news. Their hearts, confidence, and courage, seemed to sink deep into the pit of their stomachs.

"You had better rally the troops as quickly as you can," Norik instructed, "For you will be leading them in the battle for Metru Nui itself." Norik could see the fear in their glowing eyes. "Stay strong Matoran, I'm certain the Toa picked you for a reason."

They both inhaled deeply, and then nodded strongly in agreement. "But we will need your help." Jala said.

"Don't worry," Norik assured them, "We have no intention of leaving."


	6. The Battle for Metru Nui

ULTIMATE BIONICLE 2

**No matter what the outcome, their bravery will transcend history itself…**

Chapter 6: The Battle for Metru Nui

High atop a tall building, about two hundred yards away from the Legion of Toa's Ga-Metru base, a figure stood in the pitch black night. His mechanical eyepiece scanned the base below with its thermal vision. He grumbled lowly, "The Toa are no longer here…"

"I guess killing Vakama has once again been postponed. But I wonder what Makuta is planning for these Matoran." He mused to himself quietly. As he thought of what it could be, it dawned on him that he had inadvertently missed another chance at Vakama's life by leaving Makuta. "Damn."

He continued to examine thermal images of all the Matoran, "So Makuta's going to kill them all…every last Matoran." He realized. "But I could do it myself right now…it would be too easy. And then when the Toa return they will find their base in ruins, and every last Matoran slaughtered to pieces…"

As his sadistic thoughts ran through his head, a clear image of the embodiment of feelings long since passed entered his mind. "Then again…why waste my breath on mere Matoran." He zoomed out his eye piece to his regular field of view.

"I will get another chance soon," He said, raising his fist up to his eyes, clenching it tightly, "because Nuju refuses to die until he gets his revenge."

&&&&&&&&

Jala, along with Tehutti, Vhisola, Kongu, Hewkii, and Halice stood alongside the Rahaga on an elevated platform, looking out over all the Matoran that made up their army. They all stood among torch light, silently waiting for Jala to speak.

"Brothers and sisters!" Jala yelled, "In a little under a half an hour, the sun will rise, and with it, an army of Vahki, Rahkshi and Bohrok will attack our fortress. The Toa have been deceived, and as a result they will not be joining us in battle."

The news that the Legion of Toa would not be there caused a brief uproar of uncertainty, which Jala quickly silenced. "They have done more for us than we could ever imagine. Without them, this city would've been under Makuta's control long ago. It's time we returned the favor. You have all done well in the short time we have had to prepare and we will fight until we can fight no more. If we lose today, Metru Nui will fall into darkness! The time is now; all or nothing! We make our stand as Matoran united, or die trying! It's time to defend our home! It's time to defend our freedom!" Jala yelled valiantly, raising his fist high in the air.

Every Matoran raised their fists high and proud in the air, shouting bravely. The crowd then began to cheer, their confidence given a major boost and their spirits high.

Jala then turned to the five Matoran around him and the four Rahaga. "That was a very impassioned speech, well done." Norik complimented. "If there is anything you want to say to the Matoran here with you now, I suggest you do so."

Jala turned to Tehutti and Vhisola, "Guys, even though we haven't known each other too long, I'd just like to say, I value the times we've spent together and am honored to have known you both." He said with a smile.

They both smiled back, "Same here my friend. And let's make sure this isn't that last time the three of us are together." Tehutti said with a grin.

"Yeah," Vhisola added, "Don't go and do something stupid just because you're the leader right now." She said with a joking smile.

Jala then turned to Halice, a Ko-Matoran who wore a dark grey Akaku. "Halice, I am proud to fight alongside you, and I hope I get the chance again."

The Ko-Matoran smiled and gave Jala a respectful salute, "Likewise." He replied.

Jala finally turned to Kongu and Hewkii and smiled, "Let's take care of this so we can make it back home guys." Jala said with a smile. They both nodded, returning the smile.

"Alright," Jala then said, "Kongu, get the Gukko Force ready as fast as possible. Hewkii, you and Halice help me to mobilize the ground troops." He commanded, the three Matoran running off quickly, "Vhisola, make sure all the guards are in position in the watch tower and you get in position as well. Tehutti, man the Kanoka turrets, and get into your own and be ready."

Tehutti gave a salute, "Yes sir!" He said with a grin. He then quickly made his way towards the front wall. As he walked down the stairs of the platform he felt someone grasp his hand. He turned around to see Vhisola standing there. "What is it, Vhisola?" He asked.

Without saying a word she kissed him on the cheek and hugged him tightly around the neck. Tehutti blushed from embarrassment. "Don't get killed okay?" She said as she released him.

He smiled at her fondly, "I won't die. I promise." He continued to run towards the tower, waving back at her briefly with a smile.

Jala found Nuparu among the crowd of Matoran, "Have you activated the computerized turrets yet?" He asked.

"Yes sir, Jala. And I've given them a special scanner that can detect the type of protodermis the Vahki, Bohrok, and Rahkshi are made out of. That way they will only fire at those targets." The Onu-Matoran inventor said proudly.

"Excellent," Jala replied, "Did you make sure the Amana Volo stone is secure?"

"I'll do that right away!" Nuparu responded, running off quickly.

He entered the doorway into the temple the Toa had previously had their meeting in. At the other end of the room Nuparu saw the Amana Volo stone and all its glory. He then walked up to the wall on the right-hand side. Pulling a stone out of the way, he flipped a switch and thick metal walls encased the stone. "It shouldn't be going anywhere now." He said with satisfaction.

Just then, the warning alarm went off with a magnificent and deafening roar.

Tehutti sat at his turret, and zoomed into the horizon for a closer look. He could see their enemies approaching fast. "That's an affirmative on the warning, Jala!" He shouted down.

Jala nodded back at him and pulled out his weapons; two circular saws with handles. "Get ready everyone!" He yelled.

Tehutti continued to watch the approaching Vahki, Bohrok and Rahkshi through his turret's zoom in screen. "Wait for my command turrets!" As the enemies got closer he saw them all begin to burst into an even faster speed. Tehutti waited until they were no more than fifty yards away from the fortress. "Open fire!!!" He shouted at the top of his lungs.

The turrets fired one shot after another out of their dual cannons. Tehutti targeted carefully to make sure each shot hit the Vahki and Bohrok directly in the head, while focusing on hitting the back plates of Rahkshi. Despite being automatic weapons, ammo was limited. One of his blasts ripped right through the head of a Zadakh and into the face of a Tahnok, exploding on impact. "Yeah, take that assembly-line trash!"

The wave of attackers still reached the gates of their fortress. Each began to climb up the wall, requiring the Matoran to focus their shots on those that were climbing. There was a risk however, that they may accidentally hit the wall. Meanwhile, others were repeatedly smashing the front gates, more and more adding force as the numbers reaching the fortress increased.

Tehutti gritted his teeth together under the pressure as he tried to continually knock of the invaders. A Vorzakh charged up one of its mouth Kanokas and fired, smashing one of their automated turrets. Tehutti suddenly felt a surge of heat as a manned turret not too far away from him went up in flames. The Matoran that once sat in it burst into flames and fell outside of the wall, screaming in agony. Tehutti watched as the Matoran was then sliced in half by a Bordakh staff before hitting the ground.

Tehutti closed his eyes mournfully, and then turned his attention off into the distance. "What in the name of Mata Nui…" He said with awe. Vahki were pulling large catapults by chains towards their fortress. Bohrok then began transform into their ball forms and were loaded into the catapults. Tehutti urgently turned towards the crowd of Matoran below. "Brace yourselves!" He yelled to Jala. As Tehutti turned back to his turrets targeting screen he saw a Nuhvok hurling right towards him. He only had time to dive out of the way as it smashed right through his turret with immense force. Tehutti fell down to the ground among the other Matoran.

The wall had now been broken, and Makuta's forces all swarmed in as fast as they could. Bohrok were still hurled, smashing through more sections of wall, creating larger gaps for more to fit.

Jala quickly started up his saws with a roar, and charged towards a group of Vahki. He cut the leg off of a Keerakh at the knee and then drove the saw into its head. Suddenly, he was struck in the back with the end of a Rorzakh's staff, knocking him to the ground. He flipped over but saw the tip of the staff heading right for him.

Out of nowhere, Norik jumped through the air, kicking the Vahki in the face, causing it to stumble back. He then jumped onto its shoulder and stabbed it in the back of the head with his staff. He flipped off and landed in front of Jala, turning around and helping him up, "Quit messing around!" He barked.

Atop the watch tower in the middle of their fortress stood Vhisola; sniping as many targets as she could. Among her were three other Matoran, each of them standing over their own edge of the square platform. She saw a Keerakh about to stab a Matoran in the back, which she quickly shot in the head before it could claim the life it sought.

While she continuously fired at more and more targets she noticed Tehutti in the crowd, wielding his sword and black shield. She paused for a second and watched him stab his sword through the back of a Nuurakh, while blocking a blast of ice from a Kohrak with his shield.

Just then she saw the mouth of a Vorzakh charging a blast, and it was pointing directly at the tower. The shot fired and struck the guard rail of the Ta-Matoran wearing a Mahiki, adjacent to her. The Ta-Matoran let out a shout of surprise as he fell forward. Vhisola quickly dropped her Kanoka launcher on the platform and dove to try and save him. Just in time she grasped his hand, "Hang on tight!" She shouted. The Ta-Matoran clutched her hand with both of his. She tried desperately to pull him up, but he was too heavy for her one arm to lift. "Help me!" She shouted back to one of the other Matoran on the tower.

A Po-Matoran quickly came to her aid and began to help her pull the Ta-Matoran up. As they almost got the Ta-Matoran safely onto the platform again, another shot hit the side of the tower. The Ta-Matoran lost his grip on Vhisola's hand and began to plummet to the ground below. "No!" Vhisola cried out.

Just in time, a Gukko bird swooped down and caught the Ta-Matoran. "That was a close one." Kongu said with relief. The Ta-Matoran adjusted himself into a sitting position behind Kongu. "My names Kongu, what's yours?"

"Vulca," The Ta-Matoran answered, a little shaken from his ordeal.

"Well, Vulca," said Kongu, "Make sure you hold on tight, because this is gonna be one heck of a ride." Vulca nodded in understanding.

Kongu gestured to the nine other Gukko pilots behind him to form an arrow, with Kongu at the tip. They flew out past the walls of their base and over the wave of Makuta's forces. Kongu was briefly awestruck at the amount of forces Makuta had sent. It was like a sea of Vahki and Bohrok.

The Gukko force ascended quickly, causing air to rush past their faces, and a ticklish feeling in the pit of their stomachs. They then steadied their flight path again. "Let's take out those catapults guys! They're counting on us back there!" Kongu shouted.

They began to approach the first catapult. Kongu reached into a mesh bag that hung over the side of his Gukko bird, pulling out a circular bomb with a red button indented in it. The other pilots did so as well. "Arm you bombs!" Kongu commanded. They all pressed the red buttons, causing them to flash repeatedly. Kongu yelled, "Bombs away!" As they flew over the catapult and all ten of them dropped their bombs on the large weapon below. The resulting explosion destroyed the catapult, along with a rather large multitude of Vahki with it.

They then flew over another catapult, once again blasting it to pieces, "Yeah! Wiped'em clean!" Kongu yelled with a triumphant laugh. He heard Vulca laugh behind him.

Suddenly they heard a shrill call from behind them. A swarm of Lohraks wearing infected Kanohi were flying towards them. Kongu became very fearful as he looked back at them. There were at least thirty of them and Gukko birds wouldn't stand a chance. All he could try to do for his team was to get away.

The Lohraks flew into them with lightning speed. Their fangs and tusks ripped through the Gukko birds with ease. All Kongu could do was watch all his comrades fall down to the impending doom that was the very ground. He steered his bird as best he could but was no match for the strength of the Lohraks. He quickly started to descend but one of their bladed tails sliced his bird in half, and Kongu and Vulca were separated as they fell.

Kongu felt the strong rush of air deafen his ears, and then he struck the ground with hard force. He felt numb as he saw the blurred images of Vahki, Bohrok and Rahkshi walking over him, ignoring his broken body.

The Lohraks then set their sights on the next highest thing, Vhisola's sniping tower. They flew towards it with startling speed. A few of them swooped down at the tower's platform. Vhisola quickly ducked, telling the other two Matoran to get down, but one of Lohrak's jaws clamped down onto the torso of the Po-Matoran that had helped her earlier. "Damn it," She mutter, turning her Kanoka launcher towards her aerial opponents. Only she and a Le-Matoran were left on the platform, "Get you Kanoka launcher and blast them!" She yelled.

The Le-Matoran lay there trembling, unable to even move. Vhisola groaned with exasperation, "Don't lose your nerves on me now!" The Le-Matoran whimpered something lowly that she couldn't make out. Vhisola then looked up to see a Lohrak swooping down once again, "Get out of the way!" She yelled.

The Le-Matoran turned his head fearfully, but he only caught a glimpse of it as it stabbed its tail through his back. He let out a pain filled gasp as he was lifted into the air by the Lohrak's tail.

Vhisola closed her eyes sadly for a moment, and then pointed her Kanoka launcher at the Lohrak that had the Le-Matoran. She fired a shot with the intent of hitting it in the head; however it missed and only grazed the creature's side.

Suddenly the entire tower began to shake; the other Lohraks were smashing through the lower sections of the tower. It teetered for a moment, before beginning to fall to one side. Vhisola screamed at the top of her lungs as she fell with the crumbling tower. An enormous pile of rubble was left behind.

Tehutti stabbed a Pahrak through the side of the neck, and then climbed on top of it. He leapt forward, pulling back his sword. With a powerful swipe he slashed it through a Bordakh's shoulder and down to its chest.

He rolled as he hit the ground and looked around quickly. Aside from Onepu and Orkahm whom were fighting alongside him, there were barely any Matoran in sight anymore. He caught a glimpse of another Onu-Matoran for a second, but he was quickly overwhelmed and killed. "Damn it," He said tiredly, "There's just too many."

The three Matoran grouped together side-by-side, trying to ward off the horde of Vahki and Bohrok that surrounded them. Onepu wielded a mighty stone hammer, while Orkahm used an axe reminiscent of the one Toa Lewa had once used.

Tehutti blocked a jab from a Bordakh's staff with his shield, and then stabbed back at its face. At the same time Onepu smashed his hammer through the face plate of a Gahlok, and then swung once more; smashing through the leg of a Vorzakh. He then brought the hammer down upon the Vorzakh's face. "We can't do this forever!" Onepu yelled.

Bomonga suddenly flipped through the air as if from nowhere and landed in front of them. With one swipe of his staff he cut of the heads of five Vahki immediately surrounding the group. "Follow me!" He yelled, running into the crowd. He began firing his Rhotuka at the Vahki, temporarily immobilizing them. "Since they're only machines that won't last long, so hurry up!" He shouted back to them.

As they all made their way through the crowd, following behind Bomonga, they could already see the Vahki regaining mobility. Suddenly Tehutti tripped and fell; the end of a Nuurakh's staff clutching his ankle tightly.

Onepu turned around to try and help Tehutti as he was slowly dragged back by the Vahki. "Go on without me!" Tehutti yelled, "You'll die if you try!"

"But…" Onepu stuttered.

"I said go!" Tehutti yelled angrily.

Before Onepu could think of what to do next, someone quickly grasped his arm and yanked him back.

Tehutti rolled over and began hacking at the Nuurakh's arm, "I'll be damned if I'm going to die here and now. I made a promise to Vhisola!" The arm broke, and Tehutti tried to run for it, but the staff was till clutching his ankle, hindering his speed.

He tripped once again and rolled onto his back. The Nuurakh, now missing an arm, came overtop of him. As it fell upon him, getting ready to bite into him with its pincer-like teeth, he stabbed his sword through its mouth.

It fell on top of him, blocking him from taking his blade out of its mouth. "Damn it…" He muttered. The surrounding Vahki and Bohrok then began to pile on top of him, trying to claw through the Nuurakh on top of him. He managed to pull his Kanoka launcher off of his back and fired up through it.

The blast ripped through Bohrok and Vahki on top, but their mechanical remains piled on top of him as well. He tried to hold it up, but the weight became too intense. He suddenly heard a loud snap. A sharp pain surged through his body as his arms broke.

Onepu and Jala watched through the window of the bunker they were seeking refuge in. They heard Tehutti's agonizing screams of pain as they saw Tahnok pouring fire overtop the pile that he lay beneath. Vahki then began to repeatedly stab into it as well.

"You left him behind?!" Jala yelled tearfully, grasping Onepu's shoulders. "You never leave anyone behind!"

"I'm sorry!" Onepu said defensively, "He told me to go on ahead. I wasn't going to listen, but then Bomonga pulled me in here." Jala pushed Onepu away and began to punch the wall with frustration.

He leaned his head against it and sobbed with frustration. "It wasn't supposed to be like this!" He yelled, "I thought I could be a great leader, just like Tahu. But look at what a failure I am! Damn it damn it, damn it! This is exactly what happened last time!" He cried out, punching the wall some more.

The only others that were in the room were Norik, Bomonga, Orkahm, and Hewkii.

"Though we are all pained by the loss we now face, Jala, remember that just because you are the only ones we could find, does not mean there aren't still others fighting." Norik assured, "But we no longer have enough Matoran to ensure the safety of the Amana Volo stone. We need to get the stone out of here." The front of the bunker was beginning to crack as the swarm on the outside struggled to get in.

"You don't have much time," Norik continued, "There's a back exit, take it and get to the Amana Volo stone as fast as you can. Bomonga and I will make sure you aren't followed from this side. Now go!"

Jala nodded, and the four Matoran ran for the back exit. As they ran through the door they heard a loud crash from inside the bunker.

They ran through the alleys between the bunkers looking out at the walkways. They were flooded with Makuta's forces. The safety of the Amana Volo stone did not look good. Without warning, Vahki and Bohrok began to pour into the alleys as well. "How did they know we were here?! Did Norik and Bomonga fail?" Orkahm asked urgently.

"It doesn't matter anymore! Just run!" Hewkii shouted back.

The temple that housed the Amana Volo stone was now in view. They ran out of the alleys and towards it. They looked back to see the Vahki right on their heels. "Jala, you go in and get the stone! We'll hold them off until you get it!" Hewkii told him. Jala nodded in understanding.

Jala ran up the stairs, while Hewkii, Onepu and Orkahm stood outside ready to fight as they watched the horde of Makuta's army charging right towards them.

As Jala sprinted to the pedestal he could already tell something was wrong. Once he reached it, his worst fears became reality, and all hope was seemingly lost. A hole had been melted through the thick metal casing that once protected the pedestal, and the stone was nowhere to be seen. "No!" He shouted, "Too late! We're too-," As he turned around he saw half the room full of Vahki, slowly marching towards him. "…late…"


	7. Aftermath

ULTIMATE BIONICLE 2

**The biggest surprises will happen when you never expect them.**

Chapter 7: Aftermath 

The Legion of Toa trudged through the rain as they slowly made their way back to base. The cool, wet rain felt good on their recently inflicted wounds. They were silent with their shame. They knew they had been deceived. Onua was not there, instead, they had to fight with Makuta's best warriors.

Whenua walked near the front with Vakama, holding his bleeding left shoulder painfully. "We really need to stop and get that bandaged, Whenua." Gali insisted.

"I told you, its fine." He snapped at her. The wound however, was rather deep. So much so in fact, that it was leaving the puddles that trailed behind Whenua red and murky. "Try worrying about Lewa for a change. He's the one with the broken leg."

"I already gave him a splint for that. Plus Pohatu's carrying him." She answered.

"Yeah, but we wouldn't have to do this if you had just remembered the bulla berries." Pohatu said uncomfortably.

"You have no idea how painful this feels…" Lewa murmured.

"Yeah…sorry about that…" Gali said sheepishly, "I guess it just slipped my mind, with Onua being captured and all…" Gali glanced to the back of the group. Nokama slowly walked, several feet behind the group, staring at her feet. Gali slowed down so that they would be walking side-by-side. "You alright?" She asked.

"That doesn't really matter right now," Nokama said lowly, "What matters is that Onua is returned to us safely, not how I'm feeling. Leave me alone now please. I need to concentrate…"

"What are you trying to do?" Gali wondered. Nokama did not answer her.

Takanuva approached Vakama. The fire Toa Hordika had suddenly gained a very aggravated and uneasy expression. "Is everything alright, Vakama?" The Toa of Light asked.

"No…" He responded lowly. He breathed in, and then exhaled deeply. "I can smell smoke… a lot of smoke." He began to run forward quickly.

"Hey!" Takanuva called out, "Where are you going?"

The rest of the Toa exchanged confused glances, and then quickly ran after him. Nokama looked up obliviously. She realized she was being left behind and snapped out of her trance. She could tell something was very wrong.

Vakama ran out of the streets and into the vast stone valley of rubble that led up to their base. He stood their speechless.

Whenua arrived first and was awestruck by the sight before him. He could see from where he stood, that part of the base was at least smoldering, and large sections of wall had been smashed away. "How…?" Whenua said lowly, "How could this have happened?" He turned to Vakama, sensing that the Toa Hordika of fire was staring at him as well.

As the other Toa arrived, Vakama struck Whenua hard in the face with his fist. Whenua fell back into a puddle of mud. Vakama stood over him, breathing hard and furious.

"What did you do that for, Vakama?" Matau asked, "Calm down, you don't need to freak out at him like that." Vakama merely gestured to the fortress and his reasons became clearer.

"Their blood is on your hands, Whenua!" Vakama shouted, "Onua's life is not equal to that of all this! We didn't even find him in the end! We're worse off than before!"

"You can't blame all of this on Whenua." Gali defended. She looked down at Whenua, who hadn't even bothered to get himself up. "Whenua?" She wondered. "_Why isn't he defending himself?_"

Vakama crouched in front of him, "Tell me if their lives were worth the try." He questioned coldly.

Whenua just stared with a blank look in his eyes, as if the whole world around him had been shut off. Vakama scowled, and then ran towards the destruction before them. The other Toa quickly followed him as well, except for Onewa and Gali.

As Nokama ran by Whenua she glanced down at him, giving a sympathetic look.

Onewa extended his hand to Whenua. Whenua pushed it away as he rose to his feet. "You okay?" Onewa asked.

"Why are you wasting you time while Matoran are in danger?" Whenua asked lowly.

"Uh," Gali said, exchanging concerned and confused glances with Onewa. "Let's just go then." She said. Gali and Onewa then followed after Vakama and the others.

"Damn it…" Whenua growled, "How could I have been so stupid as to have not realized this would happen?" He cringed for a second, grasping his injured arm. "I hope Tehutti's okay…"

Whenua walked slowly until he reached the remnants of the battlefield. It was covered with destroyed Vahki that looked like they had been in an explosion. Plus there was a strong smell of gunpowder in the area. It was almost eerie how silent it was. He could hear nothing but the sound of the rain washing over everything.

Suddenly, Whenua heard a groan; the faintest of groans. He quickly turned his head in the direction it came from. He spotted something alive, lying among a scrap of Vahki. A Ta-Koran Matoran wearing an orange Mahiki lay there, battered and bleeding. It looked as though he had sustained a fall from a great height.

Whenua's menacing figure frightened the Matoran for a moment, until he realized that it was one of the Toa. The Matoran's eyes started to gleam with hope. Whenua crouched in front of him. "Whe-Whenua? Right?" He struggled to ask.

Whenua nodded slowly, "Can you move?" The Earth Toa Hordika asked.

"I-I think so." He answered, trying to get up. Whenua grabbed the Matoran's arm with his right hand and helped to hoist him onto his feet. The Ta-Matoran staggered for a moment then stood up properly.

"What's your name?" Whenua asked.

"Vulca," He answered, "My name is Vulca."

They continued onwards through the wasteland towards the demolished fortress where the others had gone. Every now and then they would see the body of a Gukko Force pilot lying among the rubble. As Whenua stared at one for a moment he saw its arm twitch. Whenua's eyes widened a little as he let out a small gasp of shock.

The Le-Matoran started to make panicked, gasping, painful breaths as it lay there with several holes in its chest. Vulca stared as well, horrified at the image he now saw. Both Whenua and Vulca knew that that Matoran was going to die very soon. It was only a matter of time.

"What should we do with him?" Vulca asked.

Whenua stared with an emotionless expression at the Le-Matoran on the ground. "…Go hide over there, Vulca." Whenua said lowly.

"What? Why?" Vulca wondered with slight distress.

Whenua stared with a hard expression at Vulca, "I don't want you to have to see this."

Vulca's expression became fearful and confused. He was hesitant until he realized what Whenua was going to do. He knew it was the right thing, but couldn't imagine that a Toa could even consider it. It just didn't feel right, no matter how much that Matoran was suffering.

Whenua gave him an insistent look, seeing that Vulca was still standing there. "O-Okay…" He muttered lowly. He began to walk away until Whenua called out to him for a second. Vulca turned around.

"This pains me just as much." Whenua told the Ta-Matoran. Vulca nodded in understanding, before waiting behind a pile of scrapped Vahki where he couldn't see anything. Through the sound of the rain he heard a small crack, and the sound of the Le-Matoran's gasps ended. Whenua emerged from behind the pile, a calm expression on his face. Vulca looked up at him expectantly. "Let's go." Whenua said.

"Was he okay?" Vulca asked.

Whenua paused for a moment, "…he didn't feel a thing…"

Vulca couldn't help but feel a little disturbed by what had just happened. How was it that Whenua could do such a thing without even a little hesitation or feelings of remorse?

&&&&&&&&

A short time later, Whenua and Vulca entered their once mighty fortress. It reeked of blood. The bodies of fallen Matoran were everywhere. Some lay under rubble, while others had suffered the wrath of whatever they had been fighting. Smoking piles of debris lay all over as well, though it looked like some of the other Toa had put them out.

The other Toa were frantically searching through rubble, trying to find any survivors, though Whenua could only see a few in the immediate area. He assumed the others had gone farther in.

Gali was tending to about four wounded that they had found underneath a crudely made overhang. She looked up to see Vulca standing next to Whenua. She made a sign for them to come over.

"Sit here." Gali told Vulca when they got close enough. She let him rest himself on some rags and gave him a bulla berry.

Whenua could only identify one of the four Matoran lying there was well. It was Vhisola. She was badly all over her body, her mask was cracked, and one of her legs was broken. However, Whenua could see the Bulla berries beginning to heal her.

"The Le-Matoran is named Kongu," Gali said as she bandaged one of Vulca's arms, "We found him outside. The other two are Nuparu and Halice. They're lucky to be alive."

Whenua crouched next to Vhisola and examined her closer. He stroked the crack on her mask, "That's gonna need fixing…" He said lowly.

Vhisola's eyes opened weakly, "Uhhh…Whenua?" She murmured. "Where's…where's Tehutti? Is he…okay?"

Whenua's eyes widened as it dawned on him. There was no sign of Tehutti anywhere. He looked over at Gali expectantly. It was the first time Gali had seen any hint of emotion in Whenua's eyes in a long time. Not since he vowed to leave Onua and Nokama's relationship alone. "I don't know where he is…" Gali answered, "We haven't found any trace of him."

Whenua got up and stormed off quickly. "Wait!" Gali yelled, "Shouldn't you at least eat a Bulla berry first?" She asked.

"Later!" Whenua shouted back, without turning his head.

He crouched down and sniffed the ground, trying to find a scent somewhere. "Damn it…" Whenua said anxiously. "Where are you?" He began to frantically search through rubble and broken Vahki as fast as he could.

Not too far away, Tahu started to break apart a smoldering pile of scrapped Vahki. Ash and dried blood filled the air and it was blown in Whenua's direction. He breathed it in and immediately caught the scent. He sprinted to the pile, skidding to a halt in front of it, startling Tahu in the process.

"What is it?" Tahu asked.

Whenua started digging through the burning hot pile with his bare hands, ignoring the burns that he was receiving. He got his hands under the bulk of the pile and tossed it all off. Underneath it laid Tehutti, badly burned, arms broken, and lying in a pool of his own dried blood.

"Go get bulla berries now!" Whenua demanded of Tahu. The Toa Nuva of fire quickly ran to Gali. Whenua knelt on one knee in front of Tehutti, examining him closely. He lifted Tehutti's head, letting it rest on his forearm. Tehutti cringed as the cool rain hit his body as he breathed very faint wheezes. Whenua tapped the side of Tehutti's mask lightly with his right hard, blood from his wound wiping onto it. The Onu-Matoran would not wake up however.

Tahu returned with Gali, carrying the bag of bulla berries. Gali passed Whenua one out of the bag, and he squeezed the juice into Tehutti's mouth. He then slowly helped Tehutti work it down his throat. Tehutti's breaths became clearer, and the wheezing ceased, but he still did not wake up.

Whenua lifted him into his arms and hand him over to Gali. A small smile of relief was on Whenua's face. "Give him another and I think he'll live." He said.

Gali smiled back, and then held out her hand. Whenua looked at it with puzzlement. She opened it and inside was a bulla berry. Whenua looked up at her to see and agitated look on her face. "Eat it or I'll make you eat it myself." She said with impatience.

Whenua found humor in her frustration, but grabbed the berry and ate it. "Thank you. Now take Tehutti back. I'm sure that Vhisola will be overjoyed to see that he's alive."

Gali smiled back, and then turned around to take Tehutti back to the others.

"How'd he ever survive that?" Tahu asked with amazement. "He must've been under there for hours."

Whenua grinned, "Despite his over confidence and cocky attitude, he's definitely got a warriors spirit. No doubt about it." He said proudly.

"Tahu!" They suddenly heard Pohatu yell. "Tahu we found four more!" Whenua turned to see Pohatu, Kopaka and Takanuva running towards them. Pohatu carried Onepu and Hewkii over his shoulders. Kopaka carried Orkahm, and Takanuva was holding Jala.

"Well hurry up! Give them to Gali!" Tahu instructed. He then ran over with them and Whenua. They set all the Matoran down, and Whenua's gaze was immediately drawn to Jala.

Jala felt dizzy, like he had been hit by a Kane-Ra bull. His vision was hazy as he struggled to open his eyes. He could hear muffled voices all around him.

"_It's so strange…_" One of them said, "_He's barely got a mark on him._"

He let his head turn to the side. As his vision returned, he saw Tehutti lying there, alive. He immediately sat up in amazement. It was then that he noticed all of the Toa around him. Gali was only about a foot away. Just the close proximity made Jala blush a little. He then examined himself in astonishment, "I'm alive?"

Pohatu grinned, "Of course you are. In fact, you're in perfect condition."

"Yeah, about that," Tahu started, "How the heck did you get through all of that without even a mark on you?"

"What are you talking about?" Jala wondered, "I've got a huge gash right-." He pointed to his arm, but there wasn't a mark on him. "What the…?"

"You weren't hiding were you?" Kopaka asked suspiciously.

"Everyone, stop it." Gali insisted, "I doubt he wants to be bombarded with questions right now. We should just be thankful he's alive and well."

Jala laughed uncomfortably, and then looked up and noticed Whenua's looming figure in the background. He was staring sharply down at Jala, as if fixated on him.

"Where did you guys find all of them?" Tahu asked Kopaka.

"Those three were all outside the temple." Kopaka answered, gesturing to Onepu, Hewkii and Orkahm. "Jala was inside the temple, in front of the pedestal where the stone used to be. It was weird though, he was surrounded by at least a hundred Vahki, but they were all shut down, as if a massive amount of energy had shorted them out. It looked the same outside as well."

Whenua continued to stare down at Jala, a mystified look on his face, like he was having trouble believing what he was looking at. Jala still stared back, his feelings of discomfort now bordering on slight fear. Everyone else then started to notice.

"What is it, Whenua?" Takanuva asked.

Whenua pushed everyone aside and crouched in front of Jala. He brought his face about a foot and a half away from the Ta-Matoran's.

"There's no mistaking it." Whenua whispered; a look of disbelief on his face. He rose to his feet and stepped back again.

"Well what is it?" Gali asked expectantly. The other Toa and even the conscious Matoran were now all eager to know what was going on.

"Where's Vakama?" Whenua asked finally.

"I think he's near the southern wall." Pohatu answered. Before anyone else could say anything, Whenua took off in a burst of speed.

"Wonder what's gotten into him." Tahu thought aloud.

Jala stared down at the ground, lost in his thoughts. "_What the heck is going on? Why can't I remember what happened in the temple? And why is Whenua acting so weird? This is the first time I've ever actually met him face to face, and yet he was looking at me like I was a ghost or something, and now he's even gone to go get Vakama. I just don't get it! What is he thinking!? Did I do something wrong?_"

"This had better be important, Whenua." Vakama shouted impatiently.

Jala looked up quickly. "Everyone get out of the way!" Whenua yelled. Vakama and Whenua skidded to a halt in front of Jala. Whenua gestured towards Jala, and then stepped back for Vakama to get a better look.

At first Vakama just looked at him as if it were just another Ta-Matoran. Suddenly, Vakama gasped and his eyes widened as an immense feeling of realization washed over him. He even dropped an anonymous mask that was in his hand.

"Uh…hi." Jala said, trying to break the silence somehow. "What's going on?" He then asked.

Vakama looked as if he had seen a ghost as he continued to stare down at Jala, and even greater look of amazement than Whenua had. "Where…?" The Toa Hordika of Fire finally uttered.

"Where? Where what?" Jala asked; his confusion and curiosity growing.

Vakama actually began to shake his head in disbelief. Whenua chuckled to himself behind him.

"Where…" Vakama repeated, "…did you get that **mask**?"


	8. Aftermath II

ULTIMATE BIONICLE

**Save the one you love or bide your time? Combine forces with enemies or push them aside? Fight to the death or flee and survive? They will have to choose their fates.**

Chapter 8: Aftermath II

"Where did I get my mask?" Jala asked, thrown off by the question. "I've always had this mask."

"Impossible." Vakama said, shaking his head, "There isn't a doubt in my mind that that mask once belonged to him."

"Who would 'he' be exactly?" Kopaka asked.

"Toa Lhikan," answered Vakama. "He's been dead for about a hundred years, but that's definitely his mask. So how did _you_ get it?" Vakama asked, suddenly feeling suspicious of Jala.

"Vakama that's quite enough!" Gali shouted. "He's been lucky to survive through a great tragedy, probably the worst this city has ever seen. The last thing he needs is you freaking him out about the mask of a long dead Toa."

"Hmph," Vakama grunted, "Fine…" He turned around and slowly walked away. "_I know that that's Lhikan's mask… but how did a Ta-Matoran, who hadn't even been to Metru Nui before the war, acquire it? It just doesn't make sense. Unless he's…_"

Gali watched as Vakama disappeared behind some rubble. The other Toa began to disperse as well. She then sighed with relief. "Finally they're gone. I couldn't stand that crowd of them." She looked down at Jala, who seemed bothered by what Vakama had said. "Hey, don't worry about it. Vakama's just having trouble dealing with all of this. We all are, so don't take it too seriously. He probably just got overexcited and jumped to conclusions.

"Yeah…" Jala murmured, trailing off. He started to think back to before he was unconscious. "_Bomonga and I will make sure you aren't followed from this side. Now go!_" He remembered Norik shouting. He then gasped, "What happened to the Rahaga?"

"Rahaga?" questioned Gali.

&&&&&&&&

The rain finally seemed to start to fade as Whenua wandered aimlessly through the ruins of the fortress. At first he didn't even notice her as he turned the corner. She was sitting cross-legged on the rocky ground, in a meditative position.

"Hi," Nokama said subtly, not opening her eyes.

Whenua stopped in his tracks, and slowly looked over at her. "You still searching for him…?" He asked.

"Yes," She replied, "I won't rest until I bring him back to us; back to me. I will even fight armies, just so long as I can bring him back to me."

"_I don't know about any of you, but I would face every Vahki in Metru Nui or even get captured just to see her safe again!_"

Whenua let out a small laugh, "That was so long ago…" He murmured.

"What was so long ago?" Nokama asked, her eyes opening. She beamed with sudden interest as she stared at Whenua, expectantly awaiting his answer.

"I was just thinking…" Whenua said, "About how much you remind me of me back on Mata Nui…while you were captured."

"What are you talking about, Whenua?" Nokama asked curiously.

"It's nothing, Nokama," Whenua said dismissively, "Just that a lot has changed since back then." Whenua clenched the fist of his larger right arm tightly. "…that's all."

"Like what?" Nokama persisted.

"You ask too many questions," Whenua said aggressively, "Shouldn't you be more worried about finding Matoran than that worthless Toa whose capture got them all killed in the first place."

Nokama scowled at Whenua, "What happened to him couldn't be helped; it was no one's fault! How can you even talk when you have no idea how this feels from my point of view?" Slight tears began to form as she spoke.

"Of course…" Whenua replied, "Of course I would know _nothing _about that now would I?"

"All you care about is fighting and killing!" Nokama blared. "You just want to destroy all the enemies that stand in your way, blindly, like some deranged Piraka! You don't even deserve to call yourself a Toa!"

Whenua's heart began to pound like a drum in his ears. His fists were clenched so hard that his arms were shaking. "_This is it… That same feeling…_" Whenua thought to himself. "_It's trying to surface…_"

Nokama stared in slight wonder at what she was seeing. She stayed true to her word and did not read his mind, but examined his body language. "_Have I actually…**upset him**?_" Suddenly she started to feel bad.

Whenua then closed his eyes and inhaled deeply; standing straight, barely moving a muscle. Slowly he calmed back down. He turned and continued to head in the direction he was previously going.

"Whenua, wait!" Nokama called out regretfully.

The Toa Hordika of Earth turned his head towards her slowly, "Shut up." He said harshly. He turned the corner of rubble, not looking back.

Nokama hung her head for a second, feeling extremely remorseful over what she had said. She sighed, and then focused her mind again, continuing to search for Onua.

Whenua stopped shortly after turning the corner and his suppressed rage filled him once more. With an angry roar he smashed his fist through a wall of debris. He panted heavily as his anger was relieved.

"Well, well, well." A voice said behind him.

Whenua turned quickly and immediately recognized the two individuals standing behind him.

"It's been a long time hasn't it, Toa?" One of them said.

Vakama continued to wander aimlessly through the vast fields of rubble. He puzzled over his current realization, trying to unlock its secrets and piece it together.

He had seen Lhikan die before him when he was only a Matoran, but he had never seen him get buried. Could it be that someone or something had taken his mask and somehow given it to Jala? Could Lhikan's spirit have chosen Jala and passed it on to him as the chosen Matoran? Or was Jala a reincarnation of Lhikan altogether?

"I have to take him to the great temple. I need to find out once and for all. It could mean victory for us." Vakama decided.

"You're just as obsessive as ever. You never change, Vakama." A loathsome voice said behind him.

Vakama turned around slowly, "It can't be…" He said with shock. "…you…"

Nokama's telepathy reached deep it the confines of the Coliseum. She wasn't looking for Onua though. It had dawned on her that she needed to go right to the source: Vorak. She was certain he was somewhere inside of the large structure. Sure enough she found him, lounging on a small ledge high up in the ceiling, his robotic arm hanging over the edge of it.

As she entered his mind, he immediately sensed her intrusion. "Who's that?!" He exclaimed with immediate outrage.

"_It's me; Nokama._" She introduced herself.

"Nokama?" He thought for a second. A devious smile then grew across his face. "Ah yes, Nokama. You're Onua's lover aren't you? So what did I do to deserve the great honor of having you intrude on my mind, hmm?"

"_Don't mess with me, Vorak!_" She yelled into his mind, "_I demand that you let Onua go now! I don't want to have to hurt you._"

Vorak began to laugh hysterically, "You hurt me? Are you kidding? The only way you're going to get me to stop is by killing me. And I _know_ you don't have it in you."

Nokama scowled orally through her own body so that Vorak wouldn't be able to hear her, "Bastard, what kind of game is he playing?"

"_Nothing but mental games, just like the one you're trying to play on me._" She heard him say in her mind.

"What?! How are you communicating that way?" She exclaimed with astonishment.

"_Ha! There are masks out there that you don't even know exist, yet I have them. So I can do the same things to you that you threaten to do to me._" Vorak said menacingly.

"Hmph," Whenua grunted with indifference, "Rorzakh and Keerakh, I thought you two were long since dead."

"As you can see, Whenua, that is not the case. However, I still have bruises from our last battle." Rorzakh said with a grin.

"Should I bother asking why you're both here, or should we skip that part and go right to the part where I rip both your heads off?" Whenua asked impatiently.

"You misunderstand our reasons for being here." Keerakh quickly defended, "We have not come to fight with any of you."

Whenua got out of his fighting stance. "What do you want then?"

"Nuju…" Vakama said, petrified with disbelief. "What the hell has happened to you?"

"That's right, Vakama. Stare into the face of death itself; cold and dark like the depths of an unending tomb." Nuju said devilishly.

His body had changed significantly. What used to be a form that retained it's Toa of Ice features had completely changed. His torso, left arm and right leg were completely black with that of shadow energy. Black spikes still protruded from his body, and his face was clouded in different areas with infectious shadow. Even his eyes were as dark as the night sky. Truly he had plunged deeper into the darkness than he had a year previously.

"I've gone through a metamorphosis, Vakama. I've become much more powerful than I was before. And now, I'll finally get to kill you." He said sadistically.

Nokama felt a sharp pain surge through her head that would not desist. "What are you…doing to me?" She groaned with pain.

"I'm only doing what you are too 'self-righteous' to do yourself," answered Vorak, "Why you even bother to try and convince me to let Onua go is beyond me. You haven't even the slightest intent to kill. Sure, you could hurt me, but I doubt you have even the strength to do that anyways. You lack the instinct to kill, so the ability to hurt suffers as well. Face it; you're powerless against me right now. All you do is rely on the other Toa in battle, but what do you do when there's no one to protect you? You fall to your knees and whimper like an injured Rahi."

Nokama silently took the immense pain that she was feeling. Her options were running out, but if she did retaliate at this stage, she might end up killing him, which was something, despite how cruel Vorak was; she did not want to do.

"I won't kill you though," Vorak said, relieving the pain in Nokama's mind, "I'll simply get Onua to do it for me. Just think about how ironic it will be to die by the hand of someone you love. I get eager just thinking about it. I'll make a murderer out of him, and break your heart at the same time. Doesn't that sound like fun to you?"

Nokama's teeth grinded together as her blood began to boil. "_You bastard!_" Vorak heard her scream in his mind. An enormous mental shockwave ruptured through his mind. He let out an agonized cry before falling off of the ledge to the hard stone floor below.

Onua's eyes shot open. He found himself standing in a dark hallway. He looked back and forth, "Where the heck am I? What have I been doing this whole time?"

"_Onua, thank goodness you're all right._" Nokama said in the Toa Nuva's mind with tearful joy.

"Nokama, is that you?" He asked with surprise.

"_Yes, my love. You're awake now. And it's time for you to return to me again._" She said fondly.

"You want to form an alliance?" Whenua questioned, finding the concept absurd.

"Yes," Rorzakh answered, "Believe it or not, we are and always have been loyal to Dume and only Dume. This is not how he envisioned Metru Nui's future, and we have decided to no longer aid Makuta in his conquest."

"If you felt that way then why didn't you come to us in the first place?" Whenua asked suspiciously, "Why did you wait until now to do this?"

"Because until now we figured you would've just tossed us aside or killed us." Keerakh explained. "We thought you guys would think you didn't need our help."

Whenua chuckled with amusement, "Obviously you have no idea how forgiving some Toa can be. Though I would disapprove, my opinion would probably lose out. The only mistake you made this time was you decided to approach me, because I am not a naïve fool, and I don't believe you for a second."

"We have made a peace-offering to try and reinforce the trust between us. If you would please follow us, we will show you what we mean." Rorzakh said.

Whenua followed the two Vahki further into the debris and over a few piles of rubble, confident that if there was any trouble, he could handle it on his own. In a small clearing lay the Rahaga who had participated in the battle.

Whenua ran down and knelt next to them. They all appeared to be fine. "Where did you find them?" He asked angrily.

"They were fighting in the battle. They would've been killed if not for us." Keerakh said.

"Please, you have to trust us." Rorzakh insisted, "Since we can no longer make Dume's vision a reality we would at least like to restore our city to its former glory. It _is_ our home too after all."

Whenua closed his eyes in consideration. After a moments pondering, he spoke again, "The enemy of my enemy is my friend…for now."

Vorak staggered to his feet slowly. His head was still throbbing from Nokama's mental blow. "Damn that bitch…" He muttered to himself.

"No one makes a fool of me…" He continued angrily. He lifted his robotic claw in front of his face. With an electrical jolt the laser claws on his hand grew into long blades. "I'll make her pay…I'll make her pay with the life of another…"

Vorak began to lumber slowly down the hallway, "I'll show her what real pain is. The kind of pain the sinks deep inside of you and rots you from within. It won't kill her…but she'll wish she was dead."

Author's Notes: I will be posting a picture of Nuju's new form on my brickshelf account as soon as I can find my camera. I will notify you that his picture is up in either my profile or my next chapter.


	9. A Lover's Cry

ULTIMATE BIONICLE 2

Chapter 9: A Lover's Cry

Nuju pulled out his Hordika Teeth blades. "It's about time we got started, don't you think?" Before Vakama could react Nuju ran towards him, delivering a heavy kick to his stomach. Vakama clutched his guy, immobilized with pain.

Nuju then heavily slashed Vakama in the shoulder, knocking him into a pile of rubble. The shadow Toa then leapt into the air above Vakama, ready to deliver the final blow.

Vakama finally managed to pull out his Blazer Claws, blocking Nuju's blades just in time. The swords grinded against each other as the two pushed each other back. "I'm glad you finally decided to put up a fight." Nuju said with a grin, "I was beginning to think you'd gotten soft."

"Are you kidding? I'm just getting started!" Vakama yelled out, kicking Nuju off of him. Vakama then did a kick-up, landing back on his feet. "This is petty, Nuju! I don't have time to fight with you!"

Nuju began to laugh mockingly, "Then consider you're schedule cleared."

&&&

Onua sprinted left and right down the dark and narrow corridors of the Coliseum's catacombs. Luckily, Nokama was directing him every step of the way, so that he would reach the exit with almost no trouble at all.

"_There are some Vahki around that corner._" Nokama told him.

Onua nodded. Not slowing down as he hacked his way through each Vahki with his chainsaws, leaving their scrapped remains behind.

&&&

Vakama and Nuju ran at each other again, blades ready to strike one-another. Vakama sliced them both inwardly, but Nuju quickly slid to the ground, knocking Vakama off balance and crashing to the ground. He got up quickly; stabbing down into Vakama's back and pinning him down.

The Toa Hordika of Fire let out an agonized cry of pain as Nuju twisted his serrated blade. Nuju laughed sadistically at Vakama's misery. "Tell me how much it hurts Vakama! Is it so bad you want to die? Do you wish I would just cut off you head and end your miserable life?" Nuju stabbed his blade deeper, twisting it as he did so.

"AAARRRRRGH!!!!" Vakama cried out in pain.

Nuju smiled excitedly and began to hack at Vakama all over. The spiked notches on Nuju's blade tore out chunks of flesh with each swing. He then pulled it back and with tremendous force, he plunged into through Vakama's large right arm, severing it at the elbow.

Vakama's cries of pain became that of low gasps as he tried to withstand the pain he was feeling. "Y-you bastard!" He yelled.

Nuju sheathed his Hordika Teeth and picked Vakama up by his chest armor. "I'm going to pummel you now." Nuju said simply. He repeatedly struck Vakama in the face. The beating lasted fifteen minutes before Nuju delivered one final strike to the side of Vakama's face, letting him fall to the puddle ridden ground.

Vakama lay in a daze from loss of blood. He wondered to himself where the other Toa were. How could they possibly have not heard all this? Vakama then realized that he had walked a fair distance away, so it _was_ likely they couldn't hear this.

Nuju stood over him menacingly, "It's about time…about time for you to die." He pulled out his Hordika Teeth once more and readied the final blow.

"…Nuju…" A soft and shocked voice said behind them.

Nuju froze in place, slowly lowering his blade. He reluctantly turned around, and what he saw, oddly, surprised him.

Vakama grunted lowly, desperately trying to speak. "Get…out of here…" He managed to spit out.

Nuju was shaking with shear disbelief. "G-G-Gali…" He muttered. "You're alive…" The Shadow Toa fell to his knees, having trouble putting together what he was seeing.

Gali approached him slowly, slight tears in her eyes. "Nuju…" She said reaching out. "What have you become?"

Nuju grasped his own head suddenly, startling Gali slightly, "It doesn't make sense!" He growled, "This isn't right!"

"You idiot," Vakama sputtered, "She was just as alive a year ago as she is now. I told you that many times…but you wouldn't listen…would you?"

Nuju looked over at him hatefully. Vakama smiled with satisfaction, "Nuju, Nuju, you'll always be that same stubborn fool."

Nuju rose to his feet slowly, staring at the ground. Gali tried to touch his shoulder, but he struck it away. "…not dead…" He mumbled, before leaping off out of sight.

&&&

Onua rested at the corner of a corridor, trying to catch his breath. "This place is huge." He exclaimed between breaths.

"_Don't worry, you're almost out._" Nokama assured him.

Onua smiled, "It'll have all been worth it to see you face again." He said fondly. There was a brief pause after he spoke.

"_Hurry up; you haven't got that far to go._" She told him.

Onua continued on his way through the labyrinth. Nokama's telepathy allowed her to see through Onua's eyes, so she could see everything he could.

As Onua continued onward Nokama started to get a strange feeling. She felt as though something was not right, but she was unable to sense any immediate danger. As Onua approached the exit her uneasy feeling became fear. Something was wrong but she didn't know what. Was it just paranoia? Was she merely afraid something might happen again to the one person that mattered to her?

"_Onua, I want you to stop._" She instructed him.

Onua's excitement of freedom, however, was getting the better of him. "What for?" He asked, not stopping, "I'm only about a hundred yards away, I can see the light!"

"_Onua, please stop now!_" Nokama insisted of him. Onua ignored her. "_Onua I'm begging you, stop right now! I don't like this feeling I'm getting!_"

"I'm so close, Nokama!" Onua shouted, slowing to a jog. "Why would you want me to stop now? We can be together again sooner, so why stop now?"

Nokama was silent for about a minute. "_…I don't know…_" She uttered finally. "_I just don't like the feeling I'm getting._"

"Well," Onua started, "If it's just a feeling, then there's no cause for alarm. Otherwise you would know exactly what it is, right?"

"Yeah…" Nokama answered, "I suppose you're right."

"Okay then." Onua concluded, going into a sprint once more.

Onua was mere feet from the exit when it dawned on Nokama. Everything seemed to move in slow motion as she realized it. The feeling she was getting…was of someone mentally blocking her! Someone was stopping her from sensing their presence. A sense of panic erupted inside of her, but it was already too late. As Onua crossed the threshold, Vorak dropped down in front of him. She saw Vorak's now blade-like claws moments away from plunging into Onua's face. Everything went black and she could no longer sense Onua, but her mind stayed in the area surrounding them.

She saw Vorak standing there, holding Onua up by the claws that were now going through his head and out the other side. Onua's blood soaked the floor at his feet, filling in the cracks between the stones.

"AAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!" Vorak cackled maliciously. "AHA, AHA, AHA HAAAAAAAAAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Nokama snapped out of her meditative state and sat there whimpering softly. Her eyes began to water heavily, and her lower lip quivered. "O….nu…a…" She muttered. The sky quickly started to cloud over. He vision became blurry as she clawed her fingers into the dirt. She began to sob, her tears moistening the ground.

"ONUA!!!!!!!!!!!!!" She cried out to the heavens. A downpour of rain began to fall over the entire area.

Whenua, Rorzakh and Keerakh were the first to appear a few minutes later, but she did not even notice them.

The sight of Nokama's uncontrollable grief made Whenua's heart want to explode. The display he saw before him almost brought tears to his eyes.

As her crying intensified, so did the amount of rain falling from the sky. Each droplet was now thick and hard, stinging as they hit them.

"NO!!! NO, NO, NO, NO, NO!!!" She shouted, "Not Onua! Please Mata Nui! Not him!" She dug her fingers into the ground again and clenched them tightly, cutting her finger tips open. "Why?! Why did he have to die?!" She sat there silently now, the rain dying down to a calm downpour.

The other Toa started to arrive at the scene, confused looks on all their faces. All of them were now there, except for Gali and Vakama.

Whenua approached her slowly and stopped a few feet away from her. She looked up at him with a blank stare and rose to her feet. Her eyes remained fixed on the floor. "Vorak…murdered Onua…" She said, loud enough for all to hear. The news struck them all heavily.

Nokama turned around and began to walk away. "Nokama?" Whenua asked, stopping her.

"Vorak…" She murmured, "I'll kill that bastard!!!" She shrieked at the top of her lungs. Pulling out her Fin Barbs, she dashed away.

"Nokama, no!" Whenua called out, chasing after her. He leapt over a few piles of rubble at an amazing speed and finally caught up to her. He firmly grasped her arm. "You mustn't," Whenua insisted.

"Let go of me!" She shouted, swiping Whenua across the face with one of her Fin Barbs. Whenua's face received a deep cut from the strike. Nokama stood motionless, expecting retaliation from Whenua. However, Whenua did not do anything. The two stood there silently for a second, when Nokama finally spoke again.

"Why? Why can't I kill him?" She asked. "Why do you suddenly have such a problem with that?"

"Don't become something you're not." Whenua said finally. Nokama relaxed herself and listened. Whenua grabbed her hands gently, "These hands were meant to aid Matoran…not to kill."

Nokama let her Fin Barbs drop to the ground as her eyes filled with tears once more. She rested her head on Whenua's collarbone. He embraced her as he felt her tears drain onto him.

"…Thank you…"


End file.
